Those High School Sweethearts
by We Are The Stuff Of Legends
Summary: Living in a socialite town is hard; balancing school, social events, friends, and relationships is even harder. As secrets come out, friends and enemies are made, lines are drawn, and no one comes out unharmed. Ikarishipping/ Contestshipping/ Egoshipping/ OC pairings
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry guys, this is a re-upload because I wanted to change Izzy's name to Aisha. Now if you're a power rangers fan like me, you'll know why I did it, and I seriously could not resist! :D**

**p.s: i changed the years that May and Drew have known each other :P**

**~Deepika**

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Chapter 1-

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It was a bright Saturday morning when Dawn Berlin arrived at her new house in LaRousse City. It was a quaint looking mansion that she was moving into and she trudged in while sighing dejectedly. Her white and blue tee shirt and jean leggings were getting itchy and the white beanie with a poke ball on it covered her blue hair. Back home, she had to leave her friends, family, and relatives. Plus the fact that she hated being new. It was so awkward and weird. Dawn's thoughts were cut short as a red ball hit her in the head. "Ow!" she snapped and she heard apologizing voices.

"MAX! How many times have I told you to _not_ kick the ball that far?!" a furious voice screamed and Dawn turned to see a petite brunette run towards her. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! My little brother tends to kick the ball too far," she giggled. "Oh...you're not from around here? Oh! You must be the new girl! I'm May, May Maple," Dawn took her hand. May had a red tee-shirt and shorts on. Her pink and green sneakers sparkled and her red bandana was vibrant against her other clothes.

"Dawn Berlin. So LaRousse is kind of big..." she commented awkwardly and May laughed.

"Yea, it seems that way at first. I was like that when I first moved in," she grinned and Dawn felt like the smile was infectious.

"You're not from here?" she asked, surprised. May nodded thoughtfully.

"Yea. I moved from Pallet to Petalburg to here," she laughed a little. Dawn nodded. Suddenly, the little boy, Max came running.

"May! I said I was sorry! Can we please get on with the game?" Max pouted then looked at Dawn. "Oh hi! I'm Max, May's little brother!" he smiled while pushing up his glasses. Dawn smiled down at the little boy.

"Hi, I'm Dawn. Nice to meet you," she replied back. Dawn turned back to May. "So how old are you? Sorry for acting awkward, new town, new friends, ya know the deal," Dawn added and May nodded.

"Oh, don't get me started," she cracked a small smile. "And I'm 15. I'm a sophomore along with my other friends. They live around here, so you'll meet them on Monday."

Dawn groaned dramatically. "Oh man! I forgot about school on Monday! God, I don't know anyone!" May smiled sympathetically and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, stick with me and you'll be fine!" May grinned and flashed a thumbs up and Dawn blinked and smiled. "Besides that, how old are you?" May asked and Dawn looked down.

"14 but I'm a sophomore. I was the youngest in my class," Dawn blushed a little and May giggled.

"Nah, I'm 15 but I still act like a five year old, or so I'm told." Dawn smiled. She was beginning to like this girl. "Well, I gotta bounce, but look for me tomorrow and I'll show you around," May smiled a fleeting smile before turning around and jogging back to her brother.

"Pip piplup?" Piplup, Dawn's first penguin pokemon chirped. Dawn sighed and picked him up.

"Oh, I don't know Piplup. Maybe this town won't be bad after all," Deciding to take a walk down her street, Dawn happily strolled, taking in every sight. She took note of the park near her new house and decided to walk into it. Letting out her squirrel pokemon, Pachirisu, Dawn made her way down the brick path. The park was engulfed with gorgeous flowers, bushes, and shrubs and surrounded by thick tall trees, whose leaves were still a vibrant green.

Noticing a little pond, Dawn ran over and examined it. She looked over and saw little Whooper playing in the pond and giggled as they splashed water on her. Piplup happily jumped into the pond and splashed around. The little serene bubble that had surrounded Dawn soon collapsed as she heard angry footsteps coming towards her.

"What's your problem?" The voice growled. Dawn whirled around, her navy blue hair flying, to find herself face to face with an onyx eyed young boy, who looked around her age. He had shoulder length purple hair and jeans and a sweatshirt on. Dawn couldn't help bringing her gaze back to his eyes, which were like chips of coal, and were supposed to intimidate people. But oddly enough, Dawn wasn't scared. Instead, she felt anger boil up inside of her.

"What do you mean what's my problem?" she retorted. This guy was starting to piss her off. Her hands were glued onto her hips and her body leaned forward as she gave the boy the death glare. The boy scoffed.

"You got me wet. That's what my problem is. I don't like annoying girls like you," he sneered and Dawn was left gaping as he walked away.

The bluenette slammed the door as she walked in. "Dawn?" Johanna, her mother, called. Dawn mumbled something in return and stormed up to her room. "Hard first day?" Johanna muttered to herself and winced as she heard the door slam.

* * *

The next day, there was a ring on her doorbell. "Dawn! Someone's here to see you!" she called and Dawn scrambled out of bed, realizing that May was in front of her house. She rushed and put on a blue shirt and a green tank top over it, and jumped in her favorite jean miniskirt. After rushing to put her red beret on, she slipped her ballet flats on while doing minimum makeup. She rushed down the stairs but tripped on the last one and fell flat on her face. Johanna and May rushed over, inquiring if she was ok. Dawn laughed it off and nodded.

"New record sweetie! It took you only seven minutes!" Johanna laughed as May grinned and dragged Dawn out of the house. As they reached May's lawn, Dawn looked and gaped at May, well not at May exactly, but the outfit she was wearing and how she made it look modest. Clad in a tight red halter top and short jean shorts and Nike sneakers.

"Ready to take a tour of LaRousse?" May asked and Dawn nodded enthusiastically.

A few hours later, May and Dawn were eating lunch at a local Ramen shop when one of the waitresses came to their table. "May!" she exclaimed as Dawn examined her. The girl was tanned skin and had white creamy skin and long silky black hair that went past her shoulder. Her almond shaped eyes were gorgeous and contained her big eyes and mile long eyelashes. She was dressed in an extremely short maid outfit but looked content.

"Sha!" May exclaimed, hugging her tightly. May turned to Dawn. "This is my friend Aisha. She's training to be a dancer along with her Espeon. She's really amazing," May explained and Aisha blushed as Dawn stared at her with awe.

"Nah, I'm not that good; honest!" she laughed and walked away to go serve the others. After a heartwarming meal, Dawn and May continued their tour. Dawn's eyes were widened with interest as she looked at the robots and finally the Battle Tower. Then May took her into the shopping complex, which Dawn practically goggled at. If there was one thing Dawn liked more than drawing/ modeling, it was shopping. The two girls finished the tour in the late evening and Dawn bid May a goodbye and goodnight and headed home.

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"Dawn! Over here!" May cried and waved as she caught Dawn's attention. The school was walking distance from her house and Dawn had felt a little nervous that she wouldn't know anyone or no one would want to be her friend. Dawn giggled at her friend's bubbly attitude and walked over. It was then that she noticed the three other people around May.

Two were boys, and the other was a red-head who smiled brightly at the new-comer. Both boys were standing close to May, who was wearing a red mini dress and leggings underneath. She wore strapped high heels and her brunette hair was curled and flowed down her back. Her wrist adorned a beautiful charm bracelet that also happened to hold her six pokeballs. On the right of her was a chestnut-haired boy who smirked at the girl. He was wearing a black v-neck and jeans and big tennis sneakers. His gold necklace caught Dawn's eyes as it sparkled in the sun. Dawn cocked her eyebrows as she registered the perverted look and stepped back a little and the boy's laugh made her ears ring. There was no doubt that he was good looking, but a bit too perverted for her.

The other boy had chartreuse colored hair, which he seemed to flick too constantly for Dawn's liking, and smoky emerald eyes. He twirled a blood red rose in his hand and looked bored with his half-lidded eyes, but Dawn noticed the occasional glances he shot the brunette. His lean body was resting against the brick wall of the school and his smirk seemed to match the chestnut haired boy's. He wore a white tank beater and a leather jacket over it. His stone-washed jeans and black and white sneakers completed the look.

The red head noticed the look the chestnut haired boy was giving her and smacked him on the back of the head. She was wearing a yellow tank top and blue shorts, with her backpack slung on her shoulder. Her bright orange hair was tied in a high ponytail. Her actions seemed to make Dawn giggle and the red head blush profoundly and scramble to look lady like again. May smiled brightly.

"These are some of my best friends. This girl over here is my absolute best friend since pre-k, Misty Waterflower. Mr. Rose next to me is Drew Hayden. We've been friends for about...nine years or so ("nine and a half" came the low mumble which made May blush and she cleared her throat) and this guy over here is Gary Oak. And you know me, May Maple." The glare Gary gave her didn't go unnoticed by Dawn. May glared right back until she realized Dawn was staring at her. "Hehe, sorry 'bout that. Anyway, there a few others I need to introduce you to, but we'll see them later on." Misty whispered something in her ear and May gasped. "I'm so sorry! I have to go!" Dawn opened her mouth to say something but May was already gone. Turning back, Dawn felt a little awkward. Misty noticed this and slung an arms around Dawn.

"You guys go on. I'm going to get to know Dawn a little better," Misty grinned and Gary nodded but noticed Drew had already left and ran after him. Misty smiled at Dawn, who shyly smiled back. "Aw, no need to be shy! I don't bite...hard," Misty winked and Dawn burst out laughing.

"You're just like my old friend, Leona." Dawn impishly smiled. "Hey, why did May have to leave anyway?" Dawn commented as she looked around campus. Misty smiled. "May's the president of the Student Council and is in like, every committee. It's kind of amazing, if you think about it. May is aspiring to be a top coordinator, which she already is, well, along with Drew. But somehow, she has all this time for the committees," Misty replied and Dawn smiled. Misty giggled as Dawn looked around. "So how are you liking LaRousse Arts High and LaRousse City so far?"

Dawn sighed contently. "It's nice. May's been a real sweetheart to me and I'm grateful for that. It's never easy being new," she added as an afterthought and Misty nodded sympathetically.

"Yea, I'm actually from Cerulean, though I was only a toddler when my sisters and I moved here. My parents died in a plane crash..." she continued as her face darkened with sadness. "A few years ago, I went back and took my position as Cerulean Gym leader. But my heart wasn't in it and my sisters realized this so they handed the gym over to my cousins. The Waterflower family still runs it, but I currently have the title of toughest gym leader in my family. Anyway, after all this, we moved to LaRousse, where I found this school. It was perfect for me. My life's dream is to be the greatest water pokemon trainer ever." Misty concluded with a proud smile and an awed Dawn.

"That's amazing and sad!" Dawn exclaimed and Misty giggled, but frowned at the sight of Leaf, one of the popular girls in school, flirting with Gary. Dawn turned around and looked at the two and then back at Misty. "I'm not going to comment," she smiled and Misty blushed, but looked appreciative.

"Yea...I have no idea why I like that egotistical jerk...as a friend, I mean!" Misty hurriedly added and Dawn giggled at her nervousness.

"Well, after my dad walked out on us, my mom and I moved out of Twinleaf Town to here. She felt haunted by the memories and she misses him a lot. But it's hard moving here. Even though I already have two great friends-" she smiled appreciatively at Misty, "-I feel like I was taken away from everything that I had grown up with. I had great friends and all my family was close by. I don't blame my mom though, she's just doing what she thinks is right. Besides, as long as I have my sketches, I'm fine. No need to worry!" She smiled, using her famous line. Misty smiled at the bluenette.

"You sketch? That's so cool! Can I see some of them?" she asked and Dawn flushed and fumbled through her bag.

"The-they're not great...but here," she squeaked and Misty gently took the book and thumbed through it. Dawn hid her face between her palms and peered through her fingers as she heard Misty's gasps and awes. Dawn uncovered her face as Misty handed the book back to Dawn.

"Dawn, these are amazing. We are so going to show the art teacher!" Misty squealed and grabbed the book and ran with a screaming Dawn running after her.


	2. Chapter 2

**So sorry about the delay with this story! Please forgive me...I'll shower you guys with the utmost love! So um...I feel like this chapter is shitty, but I'm going to post it anyway, because the first few chapters of a story are always horrible. Anyway...I love all my OC characters, and developing themselves is going to be super fun. Oh and um, I hope I've mentioned this before, but this story was inspired by Rolyn, another fan fiction writer. Her Misguided Love/ Misguided Intentions series is absolutely amazing, so y'all should go check it out before I bash you in the heads with my Misty mallet.**

**Anyways, like I said above, I am so sorry about the lack of updates. I've been writing as much as I can along with watching Bones, re-watching Burn Notice and some episodes of White Collar and Covert Affairs, along with reading sexy fics that make my stomach clench and tears well up in my eyes. Yea, I'm that and pathetic. Anywho, I hope y'all can forgive me, and I have no idea why I've suddenly started typing 'y'all'.**

**Anyway, enough of my insistent rambling, and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

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**Chapter 2-**

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"Ugh, Dawn, stop whining. The teacher loved your artwork so suck it up and let's go meet up with May and the rest of the girls!" Misty screamed and Dawn stopped her whining immediately. Misty looked at Dawn's face and grimaced. "Sorry, bit of a short temper," she winked and Dawn laughed.

"I noticed Misty. Now tell me...are there any basic rules I should be following? I don't want to embarrass myself on the first day," Dawn fretted and Misty calmed her down.

"Just one: The Oaks rule the school. Don't defy them or you'll regret it," Misty laughed then shook her head. "No, but it's something to remember. I mean, the Oaks are like the popular people. Gary's one of them..." Misty trailed off, noticing she had said too much. Dawn nodded understandingly and walked. The two of them made it to the stage where orientation was being held. There, the two sophomores met up with May, who had surprisingly changed her outfit.

Now clad in a mini black halter dress and black flats and curled brunette hair that sat on her shoulder in waves, the brunette was a stunning sight to see. A tall blazing pokemon was standing next to her, as well as a butterfly pokemon and an ice cat pokemon. May ran up to her friends. "Hey guys!" she squealed and smiled brightly as the butterfly pokemon, Beautifly, fluttered over and settled itself on her head. Dawn tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Why are you all dressed up?" Dawn asked and May grinned.

"Because I'm the one giving the speech for orientation. I'm class president ya' know," she winked and Dawn nodded and laughed. May stopped laughing and looked at Dawn in interest. "Do you want to come over after school? I-I have a gift that you might like," she smiled hesitantly and Dawn nodded. May grinned. "Awesome! And Misty, it's ok to explain," May added as an afterthought and ran up to the podium to discuss something with the teachers. Dawn looked at Misty.

"Explain what?" she asked and Misty smiled.

"It's nothing serious. Ok, so remember when I said the Oaks rule the school, and that Gary was one of them?" Misty began but was interrupted by the principal of the school, Mr. Jenkins.

"Good afternoon students. I would like to welcome all the new students along with our old students. To present LaRousse Arts' orientation, here is your class president, May Maple," Mrs. Jenkins announced and the students clapped. Misty brought Dawn to the front row where there were specific seats reserved. Misty got up and Dawn was left sitting there, all awkwardly. Not even a minute later, Aisha, the café girl Dawn had met, came up to the reserved part and sat down. She looked over to Dawn and smiled brightly.

"You're part of this group now, I see?" she giggled and Dawn nervously smiled, still feeling a bit shy around her. Suddenly she felt someone grasp her shoulder tightly and Dawn gasped in pain.

"What do you think you're doing here, new bee?" a girl's voice growled and Dawn quietly whimpered.

"I was invited to sit here," she managed to squeak out. The girl's black hair with fiery red highlights glared at the bluenette. She still kept a tight grip on Dawn.

"A likely excuse, but everyone knows that people try to lie just to get into our group," the girl growled even more menacingly but stopped and let go as a voice stopped her.

"Blaze Malcolm, how many times have we told you to not interrogate the new people? And yes, she's part of the group now! Or, at least sort of. May's invited her over after school," Misty snapped and Blaze glared at the orange haired girl.

"Oops...my bad," she giggled and Dawn shifted a little away while rubbing her sore shoulder. "And geez Mist, chill," Blaze scoffed. Misty sighed and situated herself between the two girls. Misty turned towards Blaze.

"Honestly! I go away for like, a minute, and then here you are, terrorizing a poor girl!" she snapped and Blaze stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Flare, flare," Flareon, Blaze's main pokemon cooed and rubbed her fur on Blaze's leg. Misty sighed as the guys came over. Gary was the first one with his Umbreon, and then came Drew with his Roserade, and then another boy with his Electrive. Dawn's eyes suddenly widened.

"You!" she sputtered out and Misty raised her eyebrow, first at Dawn and then the boy.

"Paul...did you already make a bad impression on her?" she laughed as Paul rolled his eyes and plopped down on the seat. Drew turned to Misty.

"Do you know where May is?" he asked and Dawn pointed up at the stage. Drew turned and his mouth fell open as he took in her new outfit. His Roserade chortled while Misty giggled, Paul rolled his eyes, and Gary punched him on the arm.

"Don't gawk at her Hayden..." Gary threatened and Drew rolled his eyes but nevertheless complied. Dawn smiled at them then looked up at stage where May had waited for the applause to stop and was about to speak.

"Welcome, new students and old students. It's another year at LaRousse Arts High and I for one, cannot wait! Now, if you're a freshman, you might be wondering 'what am I going to do for this school?' I'm sure most of you know what you want to be and have already begun to think about signing up for it. But for those of you who still have no idea what they want to be, you have many choices. LaRousse specializes in four main categories: training/battling, pokemon arts, pokemon ranger skills, and coordinating. If you haven't figured out by now, I am a pokemon coordinator.

"Now some of you may be new to the concept of coordinating. Coordinating is the art of showing off your pokemon's style, grace, natural beauty, and applying that to battle. A coordinator competes in a contest, which is a place where all the coordinators gather to show off their skills.

"A Contest is divided into two parts. In the first round the coordinator uses their Pokémon's attacks to display its natural beauty and talent. The appeal is awarded points by judges, and, as in any competition, the coordinators with the highest scores proceed to the next round. The second round is the Battle Round, in which two Coordinators compete in a Pokémon battle while continuing to show off their Pokémon's beauty and grace. Each battle lasts five minutes and the object of the battle is to decrease the opponent's points. Points are lost when a Coordinator's Pokémon is hit by an attack, when an attack fails, when the opponent's Pokémon performs a particularly beautiful move or when the opponent's Pokémon uses the Coordinator's attack to its own advantage. A battle can also end when one of the Pokémon is unable to battle. In this case the Coordinator with the remaining Pokémon is the winner and wins the prize, which is a ribbon.

"This may seem extremely confusing to you, so I'll be demonstrating along with other top coordinator, Drew Hayden." May stepped away from the podium and fingered her pokeball. Drew smirked as all the girls squealed and flicked his hair was he walked up to the stage. May smiled at him.

"Well, well Maple. Ready to take on the best male coordinator alive?" Drew smirked as May rolled her eyes.

"Drew, we don't need your ego taking over the stage. Now how should we proceed?" she laughed and Dawn could have sworn she saw a small smile on Drew.

"Classic one on one. Ready?" Drew taunted her, his pokeball already in his hands. May stepped back and Dawn noticed the guys ogling at her dress.

"Ready as always Hayden; 5 minutes on the clock!" May called and Dawn noticed the electrical scoreboard above that now showed May and Drew's faces. "Glaceon, take the stage!" May twirled and cried and suddenly a cold wind blast out and an ice cat pokemon jumped out. The audience awed as Glaceon called out her name.

"Glace, glaceon!" it cried and jumped in glee as she spotted Drew while the chartreuse haired boy nodded approvingly.

"Roserade, let's give them a show to watch," he smirked broadly as the caped rose pokemon flashed out of her ball. May nodded towards him, signaling that he was to make the first move. "Roserade, petal dance!"

"Glaceon ice beam on those petals, then use iron tail!" May grinned. The ice cat complied then gasped as Glaceon perfectly countered the attack. Drew lost some of his points. "Shadow ball Glaceon!"

"Tsk, tsk, you'd think you'd learn by now May. Magical leaf, Roserade! Then use stun spore!"

"Rose, Roserade!" Roserade cried. May gasped as the shadow ball was destroyed by the magical leaf and Glaceon was pushed back as she was hit dead on with both the magical leaf and the stun spore. Electrive waves ran through her white coat and May grit her teeth as she saw her half her points disappear.

"Uh oh, Glaceon has been paralyzed! What's May going to do now?" A mocha color haired boy spoke up and Dawn noticed he was the MC for the mock battle. He was Hispanic looking and had short cropped hair that fell over his forehead.

"Now, Roserade, charge up for solar beam!" Drew smirked at his opponent's foolishness. May grinned.

"It's not over yet! Glaceon ice shard; then charge your ice beam; don't let that paralysis get to you!" May cried and Glaceon struggled to get up but opened her mouth as a white ball formed. Roserade was hit with the shards of ice but continued to charge

"Less than two minutes on the clock folks!" the unofficial referee cried and May looked desperately at Glaceon. Drew silently willed his Roserade to charge faster. Suddenly, May and Drew looked up.

"FIRE!" they screamed and the two pokemon cried as they unleashed their attacks. The two attacks collided head on. Glaceon slid back a little but pushed forward as Roserade kneeled on one knee. Glaceon's ice beam and Roserade's solar beam hit their respective targets. A cloud of dust appeared and the crowd gasped. The brunette girl closed her eyes and prayed for her pokemon to be alright.

"Time's up! Let's wait for the dust to disappear!" the Hispanic boy announced and though Drew smirked and looked calm on the outside, May knew that he was anxious as well. The dust cleared and, for the umpteenth time, the audience gasped at the result. Glaceon was shaking on her knees, struggling to stand up. May then glanced on the other side as she saw the Roserade she knew and loved encased in ice. "Roserade is unable to battle so the winner is the one, the only, May Maple!" As soon as the referee/ MC announced that, Glaceon collapsed and May ran over to her.

"Congrats Glaceon. Now take a nice, long, break; you deserve it," she smiled and recalled her pokemon. Drew smiled a miniscule smile as another pokemon got Roserade out of the ice prison and he recalled her.

"Good battle May. Though I know it was just a fluke," he smirked and May fumed.

"Don't you start with me Hayden-oh!" she gasped as he flung a rose over his shoulder. May smiled slightly then shook her head and walked back to the podium. Dawn noticed everyone around her chuckling as they watched the little scene unfold.

"Alright everyone, hope you enjoyed that. Now let's take a break and relax as we watch a dance our two best dance students have prepared and a slideshow that contains the art of some students. I would like to call the lovely Aisha Evans and her Espeon!" May stepped back as the audience clapped and walked over to the reserved area. She high-fived Isabella as she and her Espeon made their way to the stage. Dawn grinned as May sat next to her.

"May, you were amazing out there! And so were you Drew," she smiled as Drew just nodded his head and leaned back on his seat. May smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks...I just hope I wasn't boring out there...oh, and do you mind if the art teachers used some of your artwork?" May hesitantly asked and Dawn gaped.

"M-my artwork?!" she hissed and May looked down. Dawn sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, I suppose it's all right," she conceded and May smiled. "By the way," Dawn whispered, leaning close near May's ear, "what's with the rose that Drew gave you...are you guys secretly dating?!" she squealed but Misty heard from the other side and giggled as May flushed a thousand shades of reds.

"No, Dawn, we're not! Now let's stop talking and watch the performance! After this is intermission, then Misty and Gary are up for battling. Well, Gary is actually training to be a professor, but still; he used to be top in battling. Then we have special guests coming to show the ranger skills!" May squealed but quieted down when Drew flicked her. The two girls turned back to the stage just in time to see Aisha with two ribbons in her hands and a ballerina dress on. Espeon was by her side, dancing and levitating her own ribbon, synchronizing with her trainer.

* * *

"Wow Misty! I can't believe you beat Gary! May said he was almost unbeatable!" Dawn gushed and Misty profusely blushed. She twirled her hair thoughtfully as Blaze and Aisha added their comments in. It was after orientation and kids were going home. But May, Misty, Dawn, Aisha, Blaze and the boys had all decided to stay longer.

"Well, I guess I just got lucky...but I can't believe how well the rest of the program went! With the amazing dance and artwork, May and Drew's performance, mine and Gary's, and of course, the famous Pokemon Rangers, Jessie and Ben! I mean, Isabella is legendary as a pokemon ranger! She managed to calm down MewTwo, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Latias, Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres! Like seriously, no normal person can do that! How did you even get them to come?" May giggled.

"I have connections," she waggled her eyebrows ominously. Dawn shook her head and leaned back as she felt the warmth from the sun rays beat down on her face. Suddenly, the sun was blocked and Dawn opened her eyes to see a girl peering at her.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A new Eevee girl? Or, as these rascals call themselves, the Eeveeites?" she sneered and Dawn sat up straight, looking at her new friends in confusion. May was glaring at her and Blaze and Misty were getting up, looking menacing. "Whatever, you guys are just as jealous. Y'all are just a bunch of losers in some lame posse. I ain't afraid of y'all." Dawn stared at the girl speechlessly, still looking confused. Her strawberry blonde hair was curled and tied in a side ponytail. She wore a tank top with a flannel belly shirt tied near her chest. On her legs were stonewashed jeans with boots on her feet and her face was set in a scowl.

"No one wants you here Holly. Take you and your Texas ass to some other place," May drawled, looking incredibly bored. Aisha stifled a giggle and Holly glared at her. "But seriously Holly, go away; you're not wanted," May snapped and Holly sniffed.

"Who said I wanted to see you guys?" she smiled then made her way to Drew and Gary. May glared at her retreating figure and growled.

"She better not..." May snarled and Dawn jumped when she heard the pure hatred in her voice. Misty put a hand on May's shoulder.

"Calm down, you know Drew isn't going to like her, and neither is Gary," Misty smiled as she comfortingly patted May on the shoulder. The latter girl turned away from the boys.

"Oh yea? So why are both of them flirting with each other? I know flirting when I see it. Let's go home guys. Besides, I have the thing that I wanted to give Dawn," May monotonously replied and got up from her seat. Dawn looked at the brunette and then to Misty worriedly.

"Is she going to be ok?" Dawn whispered and Misty shrugged and got up. "Alrighty then, let's go guys! Besides, wasn't I promised a story?" Dawn pouted and Misty sighed as she got up and the other girls followed May. Dawn caught up to May and tapped her on the shoulder. "Tell me the story. I want to know!" Dawn jumped and May giggled, rubbing her eye.

"Sorry, something got...in my eye," she lamely replied then cleared her throat. "Ok, so here goes. You know how I said I lived in Pallet and Petalburg?" Dawn nodded. "Well, the truth is, my mom is divorced...and Gary's my brother. Funny and creepy huh? Well, our parents divorced when the both of us were eight years old. Dad married some chick named Gwen and Mom married our step-dad, Norman, former gym leader of the Petalburg gym. So yes, my full name is May Maple-Oak, but I like to be called May Maple because I don't like the special treatment. Though I've been using the name Oak recently. Gary's been making me 'embrace the Oak-greatness'." May paused and giggled. "Anyway, Gary and I got separated. He's living with Dad and I'm living with Mom. Somehow, we both ended up here, in LaRousse."

Dawn muttered in understanding knowing that though May was casually talking about the subject, it was actually very hard for her to speak about it. Like her, May was probably very close to her family and being away from her sibling and then forced into another sibling was not an ideal situation for anyone. All those thoughts vanished as soon as Dawn and the rest of the gang stepped into the Oak mansion.

"Grandpa! I'm home!" May called and muffled footsteps were heard and May laughed as she was bombarded with a white lab coat. "Gramps!" she smiled and the elderly Oak ruffled her hair fondly.

"May, it's been a while since you've last been here! Now who is this attractive young lady? And where are the boys?" he asked and May's smile drooped a little but she hid it.

"Gary and the guys are still at school, probably fighting about whose pokemon is better. And this is Dawn Berlin. She's the new girl who lives about three houses down from my house. Dawn, this is my grandfather, Samuel Oak, or as he's better known, Professor Oak. Now come on! I have to give you a gift! Is it ready Gramps?" May rambled and Blaze laughed at the elder Oak's exasperated face as he listed to his granddaughter.

"May, breathe. Now let's go give Dawn the gift." May pouted and beckoned the navy haired girl to follow her. Dawn hesitantly smiled and followed. The girls entered a pokemon nursery where a tired Eevee sat on an extravagant mattress. Her tail was drooped and her ears were folded down but they perked up when she saw May.

"Oh Eevee! These babies are beautiful. Can I have one?" May asked softly, petting the petite brown fox lovingly. Eevee cooed and rubbed her cheek against May's palm and nudged one of the full grown eevee babies. Dawn gasped.

"May! You're giving me a _pokemon_? I couldn't possibly accept it!" Dawn groaned and May bashfully.

"It's kind of like an initiation. People call us the Eeveeites because I gave all of my closest friends an eevee of their own. Me and my Glaceon, Blaze and her Flareon, Sha and her Espeon, Misty and her Vaporeon...we all evolved our Eevee into a different evolution...but the choice is yours..." May trailed off, her cheeks flushed red looking more embarrassed than ever. Dawn squealed as the Eevee bounced up and down and all around. May knelt down and tapped a pokeball on its forehead and a red light engulfed. It whirred three times before a final beep. "Here Dawn, Eevee is all yours."

Dawn cooed as she released the little fox pokemon. It bounced and it ran all around her in circles before jumping into a surprised Dawn's arms. "How adorable! You're so full of energy!"

"Like a certain someone we know..." May coughed and both Dawn and Eevee simultaneously glared at the brunette. "Whoa...freaky," May commented. Eevee jumped out of Dawn's arms and ran into the stone room, where all the different types of stones were kept.

"Eevee wait!" Dawn cried and the five girls ran after the adorable creature. They entered the room only to be bombarded by a bright light. The light faded and Dawn blinked her eyes a couple of times.

"Sol, Solaceon!" it cried and Dawn ogled at it. The pokemon had yellow fur with a circular disk surrounding its neck. It had pointy ears that were pointed upwards and the skin had faint splotches on it, looking like little suns.

"A...Solaceon? I've never heard of it..." Dawn muttered, kneeling down to pet the yellow creature. May breathed quietly and approached the new pokemon.

"Grandpa's been studying Steeleon and Aireon, the two newest Eevelutions, but we've never seen a Solaceon before... I'll go tell Gramps later," she smiled softly and Dawn giggled as Solaceon purred and cooed. However, everyone looked up as the door slammed shut from outside.

"Gramps, we're home!" a gruff voice called and May visibly grimaced and groaned quietly. She turned away as she heard footsteps approaching the study room. Dawn, Blaze, Misty, and Sha tried to stifle their laughter as they watched Solaceon sniff everything and practically run in circles around the room squealing her name wherever she went.

"Though we'd find you in here Oak," a voice smirked and May stiffened, having immediately recognized the voice.

"Yea...so you found us," she replied, shrugging nonchalantly while trying to get Solaceon to stay still. Dawn had approached the girl and tried to get Solaceon to calm down. After a pregnant pause, May scoffed softly. "Is there something you need guys? Because if you haven't realized, I'm a bit," she gasped as Solaceon dashed past her, "busy...Solaceon, get back here!" May groaned and ran around the giant lab, causing everyone to laugh.

"May...calm down! You're going to run into a wall!" Blaze giggled as May determinedly stayed on Solaceon's paws.

"Relax, I won't-oof!" she squealed as she ran head first into the wall. "I swear, that wall wasn't supposed to be there!" she groaned as she rubbed her head. Aisha and Espeon came running towards her.

"Are you ok?" she asked between giggles, Espeon psychically checking her body for any harm. May groaned once more and nodded while standing up.

"Totally meant to do that," she huffed, blowing up a bang and pouting. Drew chuckled walking over to her, only for May to turn away and continue to examine Solaceon. Sending a confused glance to his guy friends, who all merely shrugged their shoulders, Drew walked over to Solaceon and sent out Roserade, who talked to Solaceon in the enigma that was the pokemon language. Solaceon nodded in understanding who then walked over to May and promptly sat down. Drew smirked as May's jaw dropped open and was obviously upset.

"I think someone owes me a thanks..." he sang and May growled while getting ready to attack Drew but was held back by Blaze and Misty. May glared at him with daggered eyes while Drew ignored her and continued to smirk.

"Urgh, fine; why thank you, oh-amazing-Drew. Whatever shall I do without you?" May apologized in a mock southern belle accent that sent the group of girls into fits of giggles as they remembered what had just happened a few hours ago. "Now come on girls. Let's go bring this to Gramps,"

Drew stood there, mouth agape, at her cold attitude towards him. He didn't even know what he did wrong, or what he did to piss her off this time. Honestly, that girl got annoyed with the slightest of things, but that's what made her May Oak.

"Dude, what the hell did you do to my sister?" Gary was glaring at him now, upset that his sister was pissed. Even though Gary was Drew's best friend, he knew that May came above him. Despite the things they said about each other, the two Oak siblings were extremely close and cared about each other deeply. Drew flicked his hair, showing off the diamond stud in his left ear and shrugged, sighing. May would always be a puzzle to him, not matter how long he had known her or how good of friends they were.

"Beats me, I'm just as much in the dark as you are," he grumbled, jamming his hands in his pockets and storming out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey...so uh, it's been a while, hasn't it? Writers block, school, y'know, same old same old. I am so so so so so (20 minutes later) so so _so_ sorry that I haven't posted in ages. School has been really getting to me, though it's ok because my grades aren't trash this year (except for chem, but we'll ignore that for now). Also, I've had writer's block on like _all_ of my stories. I should really finish Poke Reunion and then on my other stories so please expect those updates soon. You guys have no idea how many times I've opened the document, wrote a few lines, and then closed it because I couldn't think of anything else to type.**

**Anyway, onto chapter details. I know I keep switching around, but Izzy's real name is Isabella Evans. So for those of you wondering why I switched between Isobel and Isabella...it's because I've been watching too much TVD. So this chapter is one of my favorites because we introduce a couple of new characters and we finally get the story going a bit. It's still a bit rough because it's been a couple of months since I've officially posted a chapter or new story, but it's a chapter nonetheless. It's still the first day, although don't worry, I'll get moving form here on.**

**Thanks so much for sticking with me through these tough times (cue dramatic music). Now enough of my insistent rambling, and let's get this chapter on the road!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

**Chapter 3-**

* * *

"Ok...so tell me again?" Dawn asked and Blaze sniggered. Dawn looked both ways while crossing the street, her bag slung on her shoulder like a purse. "What?! It's not like I come from a rich family..." By now, the five had stopped walking.

"Dawn, you're mom is a retired coordinator and singer and father is one of the biggest business men in the world...and you tell me you're not rich?" Izzy gaped and Dawn blushed, look down while shuffling uncomfortably.

"Anyway, it's simple really. The Oak ball is something that takes place every year. Me and Gary's closest friends are invited, along with some of the most intelligent, rich, and famous people of the world. This is like, the event of the year, something everyone looks forward to. As always, Gary and I are the secondary stars of the party. We usually have an 'entourage' as some people like to call it. Gary usually has Drew, Paul, Byron Carter, and Rocky Santiago. I usually have Aisha, Blaze, and Mist. But this year, I'm hoping to add you to the crowd...pretty please?" May pouted as she explained. Dawn gaped.

"That sounds...huge," she swallowed uncomfortably and May sympathetically nodded. "Do we need...a date?" Dawn asked and May nodded once more.

"But don't worry; it's not for another five months or so. Gramps just loves to freak us out," May laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's get to school. The real classes start today,"

"Joy," Misty sarcastically cheered. The five girls entered the huge one story school, only to find everyone staring at them. As they walked towards their lockers, Dawn looked at either side of the hallway and turned to her new friends.

"Um...is this normal?" she whispered. Aisha cocked an eyebrow as she flipped her sleek black hair over her shoulder.

"We get minimal staring; May gets the most...but never this much," Aisha replied and Blaze nodded, running her fingers through her now pixie style short hair. "That reminds me...why _did_ you cut your hair Blaze?" she asked, turning to the fiery girl. Said girl rolled her eyes.

"Way to change the subject? And I thought it would be a nice change...besides, doesn't the fiery orange hair suit me?" she stopped to pose, causing giggles to erupt. "What?" she whined, sticking her tongue out. Her hair was now up to her ears while all the hair in the front was swiped to the left side. The bang covered her eye, giving her a sultry and sexy look and, as Blaze mentioned, her hair was now, indeed, a bright orange with the trace of red highlights. Dawn nodded thoughtfully as her newly evolved Solaceon purred at her side.

"Are people staring at Solaceon?" Dawn whispered to May who snorted and turned to her with twinkling amused eyes.

"Dawn, they're staring at you," she laughed as she reached her locker. "Alright, now let's get our books, drop them off at homeroom and hang out," May grinned as the girls all fanned out.

* * *

"1114, 1115, 1116, ah B1117," Dawn muttered to herself. "42, 8, 20," Dawn muttered as she entered the combination. She pushed the locker lock up to open it and grabbed the dial. "Open...OPEN!" she growled and fell backwards as the force of the locker pushed her. "Oof!" the bluenette grunted and scrambled up as she heard a noise below her.

"God, not you again," the voice scoffed and Dawn scowled. "Can't you look where you're going? Honestly, it's not that hard."

"Shut up Paul; not everyone is as skilled as you," Dawn rolled her eyes as she bent down to gather her things. She briefly looked up to see Paul flick his long purple hair out of his eyes and smirk.

"Damn straight. Now get off the floor before everyone looks at us. God, so useless," he rolled his eyes and Dawn bit her lip, trying to suppress the rather colorful retort she knew would come out if she didn't control herself. She picked herself up and dusted herself off. Grabbing her books, she quickly shut her locker and ran away to her friends.

"Hi there," a voice said and Dawn jumped a little, startled, when she saw a guy with raven black hair standing in front of her. "You're new here aren't you?" he asked and Dawn nodded awkwardly, not really knowing what was going on. "I'm Calvin, but you can call me Cal," he smiled and Dawn smiled, clutching her books closer to her chest.

"I'm Dawn and I'm late so I guess I'll see you later Cal," Dawn slightly smiled and walked away, almost running into May. "Hey!" she grinned and May smiled, a worried look passing over her face. "Something wrong?" she asked, a bit confused. May shook her head.

"No, no...come on, I'll give you a tour around the school really quickly," May hurriedly replied, dragging her around. As they rounded the corner, May stopped short. "Dawn, there are two other people you should probably meet. Yo guys, over here!" May hollered and Dawn covered her ears. "Dawn, this is Rocky Santiago and Byron Carter," May replied. Dawn immediately recognized Rocky as the boy who had been MCing for the battles yesterday. His hair was still as floppy as yesterday and he had a charming smile that seemed to dazzle the girls as they walked by. Next to Rocky was his Hariyama. Byron, on the other hand, had short blonde/brown hair that was spiked up into mini spikes. His skin peeled in some places and it was obvious that he was a surfer dude. Next to Byron was Saumurott, his trusty surfing sidekick.

"_Hola_, the name's Rocky," Rocky grinned and Dawn nodded. His voice was quite low and had a thick Spanish accent. "You're _nueva_, aren't you? Haven't seen you around here," he commented just as Aisha walked over to them, Blaze and Misty following. "What's got your panties in a knot Sha? Did Hunter reject you again?" Rocky smirked brightly, much to the amusement of Dawn. Aisha rolled her mocha eyes and pinched his muscular arm. "Ow, what the hell girl? I was kidding about the Hunter part!" he whined and muttered something that sounded like "_Bruja__"_ under his breath, which caused Aisha to punch his arm this time. Byron rolled his eyes and stepped in between the two.

"Yo, dude, really? You guys really gotta fight on the first day?" he rolled his eyes and spoke in a tone that sounded like he was used to their constant fighting. Dawn thought he sounded like a typical surfer guy from all those movies she watched. He even almost had the accent down although he had a deep voice that was undoubtedly sexy. "By the way, we went to the beach yesterday for some training and... " he began but was cut off when Blaze rolled her eyes and spoke over him.

"Is that _all_ you ever think about Byron? If you love the ocean that much then why don't you just go marry it?" Blaze snapped and Byron smirked.

"Jealous?" he waggled his eyebrows. Aisha and Rocky had stopped fighting and were watching the two. May sighed and tried to step in between the two, trying to fight the knowing smile that was dancing its way on her face.

"As if Carter; now get out of the way before I _make_ you get out of the way," Blaze snapped and Dawn rolled her eyes at her friend's short fuse. Dawn could see that Byron was enjoying taunting the fiery girl and she could see that said girl was getting ready to beat the guy into pulp. Dawn quickly stepped in between the two.

"Guys, guys calm down. Byron, seriously, just shut up; you're asking for a freaking beating. Blaze, there's no need to get worked up over such a simple matter. Seriously girl, just walk around him," Dawn laughed but not before she shot a meaningful glare at the surfer boy, who simply scoffed at Blaze as if still taunting her, sent Dawn a small smile, and walked away, Rocky running after him. Dawn turned around to see May, Misty, and Aisha looking at her in amazement. "Why are you guys looking at me like I'm the reincarnation of Entei?" Dawn asked and Misty shook her head a little.

"No one, in the history of knowing Blaze and Byron have been able to stop one of their lovers' spats," Misty giggled at Blaze's face. "Girl, calm down; I kid," she laughed and leaned towards Dawn. "Sort of...haven't you heard of opposites attract?" Blaze rolled her eyes.

"Whatever; all I know is that Byron is a douche and only a desperate loser would fall for him," she scoffed and pulled out her schedule. "So what's your first period?" she asked and Dawn looked at her own schedule.

"Chem..? Ew! I have first period chem!" Dawn groaned and May laughed then sobered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're in AP chemistry? Finally, a girl who's in my class! Ah girl, no need to worry; I have chem too...along with Drew and Paul..." she muttered as an afterthought although Dawn heard.

"What? Both of them in chem? But Paul is such a jerk!" Dawn whined and May shot a sympathetic glance towards her friend. She grabbed a piece of brunette hair and twirled it around her finger. Blaze looked at Dawn weirdly.

"Oh great...three brainiacs were enough, but now we have a fourth? My mom's never going to let me hear the end of this! She's part of the education board, so she knows what goes on and what classes people are in; just another reason for her to hate me," Blaze sighed as Dawn sympathetically shrugged at her. Misty smiled brightly.

"Well, I for one don't mind _not_ being in AP, mostly because I suck at science. It's not meant to be for us! I'm more of the athletic girl, if you guys know what I mean. Honors chemistry is enough for me so I guess I'll see you guys!" Misty smiled and Blaze followed her. Aisha was the only one left and she turned to Dawn and May, clutching her books.

"I...uh...skipped chemistry and I'm going to physics since I have a kind of double major- medical and dancing," she smiled sheepishly and Dawn gawked at her. "So uh...have fun with Drew and Paul!" the raven haired girl giggled nervously while dancing away leaving a groaning bluenette who had just remembered why she hated her first period class in the first place.

"Dawn, Paul isn't really that bad; take it from someone whose seen the best and worst side of him," May assured grabbing Dawn's hand. "Besides; it's only one period that you really need to tolerate him since we all meet up for second period gym," May grinned. "Now come on; we should get to class before the bell rings," she laughed and the two girls ran to their class that was down two hallways in the D wing.

* * *

As Dawn and May took their seats, people started whispering. The bluenette looked around nervously, obviously nervous from their words. She gave a silent pleading look to May who smiled sympathetically at her. Dawn looked at the classroom. It was a regular classroom and the desks were paired in twos but if you looked behind, there was a huge high-tech chemistry lab in the back. The mandatory power-shower and eye-wash were there along with various beakers and flasks full of chemicals. The walls were filled with pokemon anatomy posters and the periodic table of elements. Dawn turned her head as she heard May make a small noise and turned around. Her bright and bubbly smile faltered once she caught sight of Drew and Paul making their way to the two girls. Drew took his seat directly behind May and Paul sat next to Drew, meaning that the purple haired demon was sitting right behind her. Dawn groaned while rolling her eyes, slamming her head on the desk.

"Ow..." she muttered, earning laughs from May and Drew, and a scoff from Paul. _What else is new?_ Dawn scornfully thought. The chair next to her scraped against the floor and Dawn had a mental image of May turning around to talk to Drew.

"Are you out to kill yourself?" a gruff voice reprimanded her as Dawn banged her head on the desk once more. The bluenette rolled her eyes in frustration and angrily turned around in her chair.

"Yes, of course Paul. I'm a suicidal girl," she spat and turned back, leaning into her notebook and started to doodle. The door opened just as the bell rang and Dawn looked up to see a good looking man with amazing hazel colored hair. He wore chemistry goggles and took them off, but kept his white lab coat on. Dawn's eyes widened as his muscles bulged and she could hear May squealing softly beside her.

"Good morning class. I'm sure all of you sure as hell don't want to be here, but too bad. I'll try to make this as fun and pain-free as possible. If y'all don't believe it, I used to hate chemistry with a burning passion...until I burned this guy's pants off...literally. That's when it started to be fun," he smiled a charming pearly grin and the girls in the class giggled. Dawn turned around just in time to see Drew roll his eyes and flick his green hair. "As you guys know, this is AP chem. Now how many of you are sophomore students?" he asked and Dawn and May along with a few other students raised their hands. The teacher smiled. "Well good luck. Anyway, my name is Mr. Tanner and I'll be your AP chem teacher for the year,"

Dawn looked at the brunette next to her, looking surprised. May quirked an eyebrow and Dawn leaned closer to May. "Drew and Paul aren't sophomores?" Dawn whispered and May shook her head, smiling slightly. A few minutes later, the gorgeous teacher was droning on about basic bonding and Dawn was struggling to pay attention to him. A shrill bell was heard and everyone jumped out of their seats.

"Ready for...gym?" May gulped audibly and Dawn cringed. "Ugh...the uniforms are gross and all the guys stare at you," May rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag full of books. Dawn cracked a grin at May's expression.

"It can't be that bad, right?"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Dawn screamed and ducked as the red object of doom, more commonly known as a dodge ball, came whizzing by her ear. May, who was somewhat behind her gracefully dodged it and the brunette turned around to see Dawn trying to pull down her shorts and pull up her tight fitting spaghetti strap tank top.

"May, remind me who designed these outfits again?" Dawn asked, frustration creeping into her voice. May rolled her eyes, the anger obvious in her sapphire orbs.

"The queen of subtlety herself," May spat, side glaring at the strawberry blonde devil. Dawn bit her lip, feeling a pang of sympathy for the brunette. "God...she just...urgh," May growled, turning away and nearly getting hit with another dodge ball. She caught it in her hands, a demonic look appearing in her eye. "Don't you dare aim for me again!" she screeched and hurled the ball over to the other side where it hit Holly square in the face. Stifling a laugh, Dawn grabbed May and they ran to the back, breaking into a fit of giggles.

"God May...you're really riled up. I wonder how funny it is from Aisha and Blaze's side," Dawn remarked, still giggling and glancing over to the other end of the gymnasium where the redhead and the black haired girl were shaking with laughter. May glanced over as well and a smile overtook her face, replacing the hatred look in her eyes.

The whistle blew and the girls ran to their locker room where the stench of sweat mixed with deodorant and perfume wafted throughout the air. Dawn cringed and went to her locker, stripping off the sweaty gym apparel. As she was changing, she glanced at the schedule on top of her books and sighed in relief as she saw that she had Fine Arts II next, which was just drawing class, something that wasn't too major. She slipped on her jeans and tank top and put on her boots. Dawn turned around and picked her books up, heading out the door.

"Come on geek, just give it up!" a nasty voice spat to a younger classman. Dawn looked up to see some sophomore boy bullying a freshman. Dawn marched over to the two, her expression fierce. "God, you're so weak! Why are you even in this school?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Dawn demanded, her hands on her hips. She was vaguely aware that the bell had just rung. The boy just ignored her, but she could see the annoyed look in his eyes and the way he ran his hand through his orange hair meant that he was pissed.

"And who are you little missy?" he jeered, a mean look passing over his face, then a smooth placid expression took over his face. "I'm Kenny Carson," he offered and Dawn just glared.

"And I'm the girl who doesn't want losers like you bullying other students just because they're younger than you. Now if you excuse me, I have to get to class," Dawn sniffed and spun on her heel, marching to class.

* * *

Dawn looked at the door and took a deep breath as the Solaceon by her side pawed on the ground. The yellow pokemon looked at its trainer and nudged her a bit forward. Dawn quietly yelped as she stumbled forward and grabbed the doorknob for balance. This was her first class where May wasn't there to make some sort of comment or offer some kind of guidance. Solaceon nudged her again and Dawn had no choice but to actually go inside. The bluenette felt the stares of her peers as she awkwardly walked to the front of the classroom, giving the mandatory paper to the teacher. The teacher was a young woman who had a kind round face. Her eyes were big though warm and inviting and she was petite. A pencil was tucked into the hazel blonde hair that was wrapped in a bun and she was looking at the attendance.

"Hey, Dawn, it's nice to see you again. Misty probably told you, but I'll introduce myself to you formally. I'm Cindy Pearce, but you can just call me Ms. Pearce, and I'll be your teacher for Fine Arts II. I'm guessing you already have a bit of experience with drawing and such as seen from your papers," she said in a voice that was somewhat peppy. Dawn cracked a shy smile and looked around, immediately spotting Isabella with Espeon by her side. Apparently, Ms. Pearce had noticed how Dawn somewhat brightened when she saw Aisha, so she smiled. "Miss Evans? Would you be so you kind as to let Dawn sit next to you?" Aisha smiled as she looked up, her almond eyes warm as she patted the seat next to her.

"Not at all Ms. Pearce. And you know better to call me Aisha or Sha for short," Sha smiled as the bluenette made her way over. Dawn took a seat on the wooden stool as she took out her sketchpad full of drawings she had made when she was bored.

"So what are we doing?" Dawn asked, her voice dropping low into a whisper. Sha rolled her eyes, though her smile betrayed her annoyed expression.

"Ms. Pearce likes to use the first day for us to relax and let our creative juices flow. I honestly think it's a waste of time, but seeing as how she's the teacher, I guess it's not really my call. Besides, it just gives me more time to draw. So how are you enjoying your first day?" the tanned girl asked, a curious expression etched across her face, her body leaning forward. Dawn sighed and her lips curved into a small smile.

"Interesting, to say the least," she laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Damn it guys; I owe you a huge apology. I've been meaning to write; I swear. But with my dry writing spell and junior year all being hurtled at me, and freaking Hurricane Sandy and the Norreastern snow storm (sp?) added to the mix, I just haven't been able to write anything. I swear, I'm going to try harder to update these stories because it's not fair for me to just leave a story, come back, leave, etc. I feel like I drag on these stories too much and that I have the capability to finish these stories in months. But it's hard with RL in the midst of it all. ****Junior year is seriously kicking my ass and I'm doing poorly in two of my classes that I hope I can raise my grade in. I know I say this every time, ****but I'm really going to try and study this year because SATs and college shit is just around the corner.**

**But enough about my woes. This long awaited chapter really starts to get things going romance wise. I really try to fit all my favorite pairings here so I hope I did them justice. Plus, I'm stealing WildPommegranite's idea and using a pre-written story for NaNoWriMo. I'm using this story for it and I figured that if I write 2,000 words each day for the next 20 days, I'll pass 50,000 words, the main goal of NaNoWriMo. Trouble In Paradise MAY be put off until December and I also have to work on my Christmas and New Years stories. Leave any suggestions in the reviews and I'll be sure to check them out. **

**Thanks to everyone who stuck with me for this long and I hope you enjoy what I've managed to scrape together over the weeks.**

**Now enough of my insistent rambling and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Dawn walked home to her mother's tea shop, with the other girls by her side. After retiring from being a coordinator and a singer, Johanna had opened up a little tea shop that not only sold teas, but also little trinkets and other goodies. They arrived at a quaint shop that had an antique sign that was also appealing. When the door chimed open, the sweet scents of various teas overwhelmed her senses and Dawn took a deep breath as she took in the various smells of all the goods.

"Mom, I'm here!" Dawn cried and Johanna came out of the back room, her hands covered in flour and an apron tied behind her back. Her short black hair was pinned up as usual and a warm smile graced her face. "Mom, these are my new friends; May, Misty, Blaze, and Aisha." Johanna smiled brightly at the four strangers and nodded at them.

"Hello everyone, I'm Johanna but I'm sure Dawn's already told you that. I'm so glad Dawn has already found a group of friends!" the older Berlin gushed, causing the bluenette to blush. "Feel free to drop by anytime!" Johanna nodded once more and informed the five girls that she had to go back to work but they were welcome to check out the place. Dawn looked at her mother questioningly and Johanna gasped. "Oh yes, Dawn the place you wanted upstairs is ready!" She told her daughter who squealed and had already turned back to her friends.

"When my mom bought this place to open her tea shop, she didn't realize that it was a two story building. When she learned about the second floor, she told me that I could have my own little hangout place. Of course this is before I met you guys, but I made sure the room was furnished enough so that when I _did_ have friends come over, they would have a place to hang out," Dawn grinned, pleased with herself. Blaze looked a bit impatient.

"Well then? Let's see it!" the fire girl exclaimed and Dawn glared at her for interrupting her. Blaze shrugged nonchalantly as Dawn sighed and herded her group of friends upstairs. It was two flights of stairs but the walk was worth it. The girls entered a posh room with light brown carpet and warm gray colored walls. There was a huge plasma screen television on one end and on the opposite end was a line of couches and arm chairs that were placed in an L-shape. The couches were a soft gray crush velvet material and there were two sofas that could fit three people and one L-shaped sofa that could fit three to four people. There was a fireplace to one side and a mini fridge to the other side. Along the walls were various paintings of modern art and old art, the biggest one, a picture of a manor in front of a green hillside, over the fireplace. There was a giant glass table in the center front of the sofas and beanbag chair and bookshelf over right near the fireplace. There were various lamps set up and on the ceiling was a skylight that streamed in sunlight.

"Dawn this is beautiful!" Aisha gasped and Dawn grinned, and blushed lightly as her other friends nodded. "You designed this yourself?" she asked and Dawn nodded once more. A feeling of warmth overtook her body as she realized that people were actually accepting her. May nodded approvingly.

"Excellent. I dub this the Eeveeite hang out," May said with such formality that it earned her strange looks with the group. "Stop staring at me guys," May pouted and then sank down onto one of the more comfortable couches. "God I'm tired from school," the brunette whined and she would have surely been rebuked with a famous Drew-quip had he been there. Misty rolled her eyes.

"May, it's only been the first day of school. Don't we have like another ten months to go?" Misty smiled at her best friend who stuck her tongue out in reply. "I swear May, you're such a child sometimes," Misty laughed and laughed harder when May threw a pillow at her. Dawn smiled softly and she turned to see Aisha and Blaze looking at her.

"They're really good friends aren't they?" Dawn grinned and Aisha nodded thoughtfully while Blaze decided to join in on their little pillow fight.

"May actually didn't have a lot of friends when she first came into high school because apart from Misty, she refused to talk to anyone. It was only the help of Drew and Misty that brought out the May that we see today," Sha admitted to Dawn. The bluenette nodded, storing the piece of information in her brain and turned back to her friends.

Even though they had welcomed her with open arms, Dawn still couldn't believe that she had found this group of amazing people who would honor her in calling her a friend. A laugh bubbled out of her throat as she watched the fantastic group of people interact with each other. "Guys, seriously, I worked hard with the design of this place!" Dawn whined as she got up and threw herself in the middle of the pillow fight with a shriek as she was bombarded with for pillows.

* * *

The next day, Wednesday was far less eventful than the first; only May had some more exciting news. "A Halloween dance? Already? But it's only September!" Dawn protested and May laughed. Dawn pouted. "I don't get it...why is that funny again?"

"Because, Dawn, the person in charge is _the_ Marina Sanchez. And I've had the honor of recruiting people for her...and I think that you'd be really good at that type of stuff since you decorated your place and stuff," May smiled and Dawn sighed.

"May, will you be there at least?" Dawn asked and May shook her head. A sound of protest began to emerge from Dawn's throat.

"I'll be popping in sometimes because I have other places to be. Don't worry Dawn, I'm sure you'll make some friends in there," May smiled. Dawn shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair nervously while tugging it. "Now come on, let's get to chemistry class. I think we're doing a lab today," May forcibly smiled while pulling Dawn towards the room. The bluenette slyly smirked.

"You're just excited to see Drew," she giggled and May rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. "Ah, you two are so cute. Just get together already," Dawn pleaded, clasping her hands together. May rolled her eyes once more. The two stopped moving for a moment.

"It's easier said than done, and I really want to but there are so many better people in this school than me. I just can't compete with them all. I want a boyfriend who I _know_ will only have eyes for me, and Drew is the biggest flirt in the entire world," May finally admitted. "When he gets a reality check and figures out who is the most important to him, I'll give him a chance," May scoffed the final sentence. Dawn stared at the brunette in shock.

"Yea, ok, let's go," Dawn nodded nervously sensing the impending anger in the brunette's tone. The two girls walked to class chatting about nonsensical things as they passed students in the hallway who were staring at May in awe. Dawn looked at her friend in confusion but May had the same expression of cluelessness on her face as well. Shaking her head, Dawn urged the brunette forward and the two went to class.

* * *

Misty unconsciously smiled as she felt the cool refreshing splashing of water on her face. As part of being the greatest water pokemon trainer, having the ability to be one with water and be able to use it to their advantage, was the reason why Misty was taking a grueling water class. It wasn't that she didn't like water but one of the projects she had to was to do a synchronized routine with one of her pokemon. Misty had wanted to chose Gyarados but her teacher had told her that the pokemon was a bit too scary. With much thinking, Misty had decided to use Dewong who had been one of her long time partners. Finally finishing her laps, Misty gracefully got out of the pool and wiped herself off with care. She was so busy, she didn't even notice two arms wrapping themselves around her waist. The slightest whiff of cologne reached her nose and Misty instantly smiled as she turned and tackled the person in a hug.

"Gary! What are you doing here?" Misty asked her best guy friend as she lay her head on his shoulder. The two pulled apart and Misty smiled brightly as she continued to dry herself off once again. The two were so engrossed in each other that they were unaware of the knowing smiles of the other students.

"Eh, had a study period so I decided to watch my favorite redhead," he grinned and Misty rolled her eyes and lightly punched Gary's shoulder. "I'm hurt Red. But seriously, didn't want you taking too long; we have lunch now and I know how engrossed you can get in the pool," he said, a gentle smile playing on his face. Misty unconsciously bit her lip and quickly wiped her face with a towel so Gary couldn't see her blush.

"I'd love to. Just give me a few minutes to change?" Misty finally said after getting her emotions in check- she knew that it was a simple lunch between friends, nothing more. A wolfish smile formed on Gary's face and as if on reflex, Misty whacked Gary. "And no Gary, you can't come into the girls locker room," Misty rolled her eyes and turned around as she started to make her way to the locker room, not even noticing Gary's stare trailing her hips.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were at the food bar waiting to get their food. Misty felt herself floating to cloud nine and didn't even notice the looming figure that was soon to shoot her out of the sky. "Gary!" a girly voice called and Misty felt the perfect bubble shatter as unwanted company came. Gary, on the other hand, smirked brightly and waved the girl over.

"Leaf, hey, what's up?" Gary asked, casually slinging an arm around her shoulder. Misty swallowed and felt heat rising to her cheeks. Leaf giggled and subtly leaned into his touch while holding her food.

"Ah, not much. Just had a quick meeting with the team...but it turns out that they're not even eating here today, so I kind of have no one to sit with," she faintly smiled. Misty resisted the urge to roll her eyes or snort; Leaf Hana was the cheer captain for the LAH cheerleading squad, not to mention doing charity work and being an all around good person. It was that trait that annoyed Misty the most- she couldn't even hate Leaf because she was one of the sweetest people you could ever meet.

"Well sweetheart, you're in luck. Mist and I just happen to have one more seat at our table, right Mist?" Gary asked. Misty was about to say no but she saw the look in Gary's eyes and she knew that Leaf wasn't lying at all.

"Of course! You're welcome to join us!" Misty said, her false cheer causing alarms to ring in Gary's head. Eyes slightly widening, Gary mentally smacked his forehead. He knew that he and Misty didn't see each other a lot and when they did, it was for something school related. Misty had probably just wanted to catch up with him, just the two of them. Turning back to the girls he noticed Leaf and Misty chatting but he also noticed the redhead's subdued attitude. _Oh god,_ he thought, _what the hell have I just done?_

* * *

Drew sighed as he got his food. It's not like he didn't like the food. No, what he absolutely detested was what happened _during_ his lunch. A squeal was heard and Drew had to physically restrain himself from running away. Excited chattering buzzed around his ear but the grass head refused to pay attention; his eyes were already scanning the outside pavilion for his favorite brunette. Drew finally located her at one of the tables near her favorite cherry blossom tree. Refusing to let the smile that was threatening to show on his face emerge, Drew opted for a smirk. He flicked his hair, stuck one hand in his pocket, and casually walked towards the tree, doing his best to ignore the squeals and the swoons.

Today, it was just May, Dawn, and Aisha at the table since Blaze and the boys were probably doing various sports and/or activities and Misty and Gary were probably having lunch together. It was almost funny to him how whipped the brunette was but wouldn't let it show. Not that Drew was any better; no, it only took a single look or a little pout from May and he was instantly at her feet for her beckoning. Drew couldn't help it- May was honestly the most beautiful and intelligent girls he had ever met and she held a special place in his heart. She was clumsy, shy, silly, and childish, but at the same time, she was graceful, outgoing, serious, and mature. The brunette coordinator was a mystery to him but he wouldn't trade her for the world.

"Hey Drew!" Dawn smiled at the green haired boy. May looked up mid bite and her eyes were like a Stantler caught in headlights but she relaxed and nodded her acknowledgment. Drew sat down and felt a quip burn on the tip of his tongue when Dawn quickly added, "And if you two fight I will kick both your asses; I'd rather eat my lunch in peace," she shook her head and Drew perked an eyebrow. May finally swallowed and laughed, leaning her head on Dawn's shoulder.

"If only I could have had you like five years ago," she pouted and Drew rolled his eyes, flicking his straw wrapper at May's head. May yelped and Dawn glared at Drew. The grass head shrugged.

"You said no insulting, nothing about throwing things," he smirked and May stuck her tongue out at him childishly. Dawn groaned as May got off of the bluenette and ate her food while glaring at Drew.

"You two are impossible; I swear, just like a married couple," Dawn stabbed her salad while the two profusely blushed. Dawn looked up with a perked eyebrow. "Oh, don't tell me you've never gotten that comment before," Dawn smirked and May not so inconspicuously moved Dawn as Aisha laughed behind closed lips.

"Ok, ok, give it a rest Dawn. The day that these two fighting is the day that we get Blaze and Byron to realize that they're head over heels over each other," Aisha giggled. Dawn turned the evil glint onto her.

"Or the day that Rocky will admit that he's totally into _you_," Dawn smiled innocently but the gleam in her eye never disappeared. Aisha started to sputter and May knowingly smiled at Drew.

"So, uh, I hear Pokemon Fest is in December this year. You guys entering?" Aisha asked, the red in her cheeks not completely faded out yet. May and Drew made affirmative sounds. Aisha whipped her head to Dawn. "That's right, you don't know what Pokemon Fest is. Well, it's basically this charity thing that our very own May thought of. It's this holiday event where people participate in different categories, 4 of them, if you will. The winner of each category is given $25,000 for any choice of their given charity, obviously pokemon related," Aisha explained while Dawn looked shocked.

"$25,000 to _each_? But that's a million dollars! Where in the world does the school get funding for this type of thing?" she exclaimed in shock. Drew snorted and Dawn turned to him with a perked eyebrow. "Something you want to tell me grasshead?" Dawn sniffed. May rolled her eyes at the chartreuse haired boy.

"The Hayden family always donates the money," May replied, as if that was a valid explanation. Dawn shook her head in confusion.

"If there's one family that's as rich as the Oak family, it's the Haydens. Drew's father owns Hayden Inc. the corporation that basically owns a monopoly on all the electronics that's not pokedex or pokegear related. Virtual billionaire I believe," she expanded. Dawn gaped with a wide-open mouth while Drew groaned and slammed his head into his arms. May looked at the boy sympathetically.

"Drew, if it makes you feel any better, everyone became your friend before we realized who you were," the brunette offered. Drew glared at her and May bit her lip and looked down. "Ok, most of us. The ones who count," she said softly and Drew scoffed. Dawn opened her mouth but thought better and looked down.

"So, um, what are the four categories," she asked, trying to veer the conversation away from Drew. May only seemed too happy.

"Battling, Coordinating, Fashion, and the ever famous Pokeathlon," May ticked off each one. Dawn looked excited. "It would be awesome if you could participate in the fashion one, seeing as how you're aiming to be a pokestylist. Sorry, couldn't help but peek at your application," May shrugged, not looking sorry at the slightest. Dawn shook her head, already used to the brunette's attitude. A shadow suddenly appeared behind Drew that made May frown and start to get up.

"Hi doll, mind if I sit with you? Everywhere seems to be taken," a sugary sweet voice rang through the ears of everyone at the table. May muttered something and the girl who Dawn remembered as Holly smirked. "What was that you said hon?" Holly drawled. Drew had suddenly gone pale as he noticed the murderous look in the brunette's eye. The level of annoyance he got her to was something that he didn't mind laughing at; but everyone- _everyone_- knew how ticked May could become at the strawberry blonde.

"I said everywhere your precious Drew doesn't seem to be sitting," May smiled and grit out through clenched teeth. Holly just seemed to be enjoying every single moment of May's misery. The strawberry blonde giggled. Dawn noticed that some of tables discreetly looked on to the fight that was ensuing. May noticed this as well and smiled brightly.

"You can sit down if you want. I'm done with lunch anyway. Got places to be, things to do," May said in a false cheery voice that Dawn instantly recognized as her way of saying 'I hate you but I'm going to handle it the mature way'. Dawn stood up abruptly.

"Yea, you said you were going to show me around campus," Dawn said and May feverishly nodded. Drew desperately looked at Aisha, willing her to stay. Aisha had a serene look on her face as she got up and followed the two girls. But she had gotten up and was close enough to hear Drew going "Sorry Holly, got something else important to do." A smile played on her lips as she ran ahead to go catch up with her friends.

* * *

The end of the day couldn't have come sooner, according to Dawn. She nervously gripped her bag as she walked the long walk from her Advanced History class all the way to Oak Hall where the gymnasium that was holding the Halloween Dance was located. Dawn was dreading the moment, if that wasn't clear enough already; she knew absolutely no one and the thought that she could very well be left alone scared her.

"Dawn Berlin?" a voice asked. Dawn looked up to see a girl who had bright blue hair that was put up into a ponytail and she was wearing only a flowy flowery top with jean capris and sneakers yet she looked absolutely amazing. Dawn mutely nodded, awed by the commanding presence of this mysterious girl. "Ah, you're here! May assured me that you were very good at styling and such so I'm hoping you can help us. I'm Marina Sanchez, by the way," Marina smiled. Dawn smiled nervously.

"Wow, uh, May said you were a pretty big deal around here," Dawn smiled faintly and Marina laughed a gorgeous tinkling laugh. Dawn was beginning to think that there was nothing wrong with this girl and that somehow, she was absolutely perfect in everything she did.

"Well, I don't know about that. My dad owns a few hotels and stuff and my mom does real estate but other than that, I don't really see a reason as to why I'm a 'big deal'..." Marina murmured, sounding genuinely confused. "Well, anyway, come on, you're one of the last ones to arrive," Marina said while turning to go into the door. Dawn followed her inside.

The gymnasium looked empty and sparse with minimal decoration. There were a few people in the back who were blowing up orange and black balloons and other people blowing up fake props and decorations. Reams of ribbon and streamers were scattered around the gym and soft music echoed throughout the empty vicinity. Marina gave Dawn a smile.

"Things look pretty bad now but with your help it'll look fabulous!" she squealed and Dawn nodded thoughtfully, images already appearing in her head. The aqua haired girl looked at the bluenette. "You have the designer's mind," she noted quietly. "I can almost see the gears turning in your head."

Dawn started to walk around, touching the bleachers and looking all around the room. "This has a lot of potential. I can't wait to work on this!" Dawn exclaimed happily. She reached into her bag and picked up her sketch book. Marina gasped.

"Ah, yes! I'm not the only one who carries one of them around. Wait right here, I'll go get it. I have a bunch of sketches of my ideas!" Marina grinned before turning around and running to the other end. Dawn was busy sketching when she heard the door open. The bluenette perked up since May had said that she would be dropping by. Excitedly turning around Dawn's heart plummeted when she saw the onyx haired devil himself.

Paul was slumped over, hands in his pockets, a scowl present on his face. Dawn heaved a sigh and she turned away to get back to focusing on her sketch. Heavy footsteps became louder and louder as Paul approached her and Dawn had to keep her breath steady. She was hoping that he'd keep his rude comments to himself and not make her scream or shout like she usually did when she saw him. Paul's heavy thudding footsteps stopped right behind her and he obnoxiously looked over her shoulder. Dawn bit her lip as she kept sketching the Halloween design that kept coming to her mind.

"It looks good," he said gruffly- Dawn nearly hurt her neck when her neck snapped up fast. A shocked expression crossed over her face before a gentle smile took over. Her eyes slightly softened.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I only hope it will impress Marina. She's supposed to be coming here with her sketch pad," Dawn said, equally as soft. "She seems like a really big deal around here."

"Yea, she's pretty popular, especially with guys. But no one would dare try to flirt with her- she's going out with Jimmy Talon, the leader of the track and baseball team," Paul said in his monotone voice. Dawn made a small sound. "So what are you doing here?" he asked rudely; Dawn resisted the urge to smack his upside the head.

"I could ask you the same thing," she snapped just as rudely but stopped. She knew fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere but she just couldn't help it; he made her so mad. "I'm here because May suggested I help out with the decorations. Plus, Marina said that my designer intuition could help make this place look good; not that I ever doubted that it wouldn't, but it would be nice to see some of my input," she rambled and Paul perked his eyebrow. Dawn looked down self-consciously.

"I'm here because I'm lacking in extra curricular activities." Paul stated bluntly. Dawn nodded mutely as she continued to sketch. "It was either this or drama club," he blanched. Dawn looked up, a snarky expression on her face.

"I think you would have done _fabulous_ in drama," she snorted as Paul growled.

"Don't push it Troublesome."


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay! Chapter up! I did it, I got in before the weekend was over, and it's the longest chapter of the story so far! I've got fun stuff planned for our characters this Halloween =D Anyway, this chapter is flashback chapter and a lot of stuff is revealed so be sure to stick around for the end. Also, I enjoy all this CS but I'm scared that I'm adding too much in. Leave me a review if you want less CS because they're the second main pairing in this story, but it's primarily IS. I tried to add as much CS intertwined with IS and my OC pairings so let me know what you think! I don't think I have anything else to say so uh...yea xD**

**Now enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

Chapter 5

Almost immediately after working on the decorations, Dawn put on her coat and walked outside getting ready to walk to her house. The teashop wasn't far away from here and only a 10 minute walk; plus, she enjoyed the crisp September air and it would do no harm to get some fresh air. She had already let her friends use the upstairs room of her mother's teashop/ cafe as their hangout and they were all probably already there. Dawn slung her messenger bag across her shoulder and stuck her hands in her pocket. Yet again, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Paul?" she asked and turned around to meet a pair of gorgeous pair of smoky black eyes. Dawn felt herself almost dazing but she shook her head and gave him a small smile. "What are you doing here? I mean, not that it's a _crime_ for you to be here, but I didn't think you would want to be anywhere here, or near me-" Dawn began to ramble. Paul sniffed and jammed his hands in his pockets.

"Don't think anything of this, but I'll walk with you. It's dangerous for a girl to be walking alone, especially a troublesome girl like you," Paul replied gruffly, cutting her off from her rambling. Dawn blushed slightly; it was the nicest thing he had ever said to her. She sputtered a little but closed her mouth to avoid further embarrassment from saying something stupid. She simply nodded once more and the pair resumed walking in silence. Dawn anxiously racked her brain to talk about something while Paul had an expressionless face.

"Ah, so, um, how do you like LaRousse City?" Dawn asked, glancing at the onyx haired boy from the corner of her eye. Paul harrumphed.

"Fine," he muttered. Dawn bit her lip and continued walking, taking note of the gorgeous blue sky. She looked up at the clouds, hoping to Dialga and Palkia that he would actually talk to her. The wind rustled her hair.

"What's your favorite type of music?" Dawn asked randomly. Paul rolled his eyes and looked down; Dawn's eyes flared up. "Look, I'm trying to have a decent conversation; the most you can do is at least _talk_ to me!" she burst out. Paul expressionlessly looked at her.

"I said I'd walk you home, not talk to you," Paul said in a snarky tone. Dawn sucked her cheeks in. The fall air was intoxicating and she looked at the gorgeous trees that were just beginning to change colors and fall. There were a few leaves on the ground and since Paul wouldn't talk to her, Dawn made it her mission to step on every single leaf on the ground. Everything was silent except for the occasional crunching of the leaves. Paul's eye twitched. "Troublesome, what in the name of Arceus are you doing?" he sighed. Dawn blushed and looked as guilty as kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I'm stepping on leaves," she meekly replied. Paul rolled his eyes and Dawn pouted. "Ok, so I'm stepping on every single leaf but that's not a crime is it?" Dawn challenged him, arms crossed at her chest in defiance.

"It is if you're giving me a headache," he growled. Dawn resisted the urge to slap him on the back of his head once more. Dawn suddenly stopped walking.

"Ah, we're here!" Dawn said. She turned to Paul. "Thanks for the...company...I guess," she finally said and nodded to him once more before opening the door that jingled. Paul shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk away muttering something about 'troublesome' and 'immature'. Dawn groaned. "God I want to murder that kid," she muttered to herself.

"Ooh honey who was that boy?" Johanna squealed running up to her daughter. Dawn looked up startled. "He was cute, in a mysterious kind of way!" she waggled her eyebrows and Dawn profusely blushed. She shook her head at her mother's silliness.

"Mom, he's just one of the guys from my group of friends. He's rude, inconsiderate, emotionless, and has no respect for other people!" Dawn exploded and then blushed when some of the people in the shop looked up at her. "I'll be upstairs. Is everyone already here?" she asked. Johanna spared her daughter the questions and nodded. "Ok, I'll see you later Mom," Dawn waved and ran up the stairs. Four pairs of stares immediately met her eyes. "Um..."

"Why was Paul walking you home?" Blaze asked. Everyone glared at her. "What? You know you were all thinking that!" Blaze defended herself. Aisha shook her head and stood up to greet Dawn.

"What Blaze meant was that we have never known Paul to be so...helpful in all the time that we've known him. I know that sounds a bit judgmental, but it's kind of his nature to be an introvert," Aisha explained. Blaze jumped in.

"And to see Paul walking with someone is like seeing Drew and Gary not flirting with any and every girl that they see!" the fiery girl exclaimed while flailing her arms. May and Misty glared at Blaze simultaneously. "Ah...not they ever do that," Blaze nervously laughed. May slapped Blaze's arm and dragged Dawn over to the couch.

"Basically what these two are saying is that Paul never walks with anyone after school and the fact that it was a bubbly and talkative girl like you is so weird! Ah, we're not helping are we?" May giggled and Dawn raised her eyebrows and looked at May in a 'you think?' manner. "Anyway, how was after school with Marina and everything?" May changed the subject. Dawn noticed that Glaceon, Vaporeon, Flareon, and Espeon were wandering around the giant room so she let Solaceon out of her pokeball. Dawn turned back to May.

"It was fun, except for the fact that Paul was there and decided to invade my personal space. Marina and I talked and looked at each other's sketches. It was so cool seeing someone else's point of view. She has so many cool ideas!" Dawn gushed. The girls exchanged smiles.

"He so likes her!" May squealed and hugged a pillow to her chest. Her brunette hair fell in waves over her face. Misty glanced at her best friend.

"I bet you by the end of the year that they're going to become a couple," Misty waggled her eyebrows. Blaze scoffed.

"He is _so_ not that in tune with people. I give it by next summer," Blaze giggled. Aisha hummed thoughtfully.

"I feel like she's going to be the instigator so...I'm going to have to agree with Misty on this one. Probably by the end of the year," Aisha nodded.

"Uh you guys...I'm right here," Dawn deadpanned. Everyone looked at her and she shrugged. Blaze nodded evilly.

"Speaking of people confessing..." Blaze looked over to Misty and May. The brunette groaned and hid her face in the pillow.

"For the last time, he doesn't like me!" May squealed in protest. Misty scoffed.

"Right, and Byron and Blaze aren't head over heels in love with each other,"

"Uh, let's not forget about you and Gary! The guys _so_ has a thing for you," Blaze interjected. Dawn turned to Misty.

"It's true, I see it in his eyes," the bluenette nodded wisely. Aisha giggled.

"Oh yea, and let's not ignore the fact that Aisha and Rocky are destined to be together!" May sighed, recovered from her previous embarrassment.

"Oh yea, because when a guy teases you every single day it automatically means he likes you," Aisha rolled her eyes. Blaze vigorously nodded.

"When he gave you that pair of rare Japanese flags, his eyes lit up when you squealed and hugged him,"

"What about when May's eyes light up when Drew gives her roses?" Misty interjected- they were back to the girls' favorite couple.

"Or when he flicks his hair and gives her that sultry look? Oh my god, he's just asking for it!" Aisha giggled uncontrollably as Blaze imitated the grass head. May looked mortified and smashed her head into the pillow again.

"He gave her that gorgeous gold bracelet for her birthday with the matching necklace!"

"And it was engraved...oh the perks of being a Hayden!" Aisha swooned.

"What about the perks of being an Oak?" Blaze asked.

"Oh shut up," Misty stuck her tongue out.

"You can't get any more obvious than Drew. Roses, for Arceus' sake!" Dawn pouted.

"I bet they're wedding will be rose themed," Misty grinned devilishly.

"YOU GUYS!"

* * *

"Oh thank Arceus it's almost the weekend!" May screamed to the skies. It was Thursday morning and the girls were walking together to school. Blaze turned to May.

"Don't you mean almost Friday? Friday means classes with Drew all day and partying at Jynx all night long!" Blaze squealed. "As much as he annoys me, Rocky _always_ does an amazing job of mixing and mashing songs together."

"Uh oh, don't let Rocky hear that or else his ego will become as big as Drew and Gary's combined!" Misty giggled.

"Um...what's Jynx?" Dawn piped up. May smacked her forehead.

"Gosh, I keep forgetting that you're new here. Jynx is this teen club that the Eeveeite girls own of sorts. Everyone from school goes there plus other people from around town. Since Rocky is always the DJ and he can never say no to Aisha, we always end up singing and just showing off our natural talents," May grinned and Aisha blushed.

"Says the girl who pouted and puppy-eyed Drew into letting you transform the empty warehouse," Misty laughed. May sniffed and flipped her hair.

"I call it the power of my oh-so-amazing persuasion," she drawled. Dawn laughed and shook her head.

"Call it whatever you want but that place sounds cool!" the bluenette gushed. "But that's all tomorrow. Today is Thursday and we have to worry about..." Dawn sighed dramatically, "_school_," she shuddered and everyone laughed. The girls continued to walk.

"So we'll get together at my house tomorrow ok? That way we can pick stuff out of my extensive closet," May said. Dawn looked over at her brunette friend.

"What if I have original designs?" she shyly asked. The rest of the girls stopped and stared at her. "What?" she whined in a high pitched tone. Blaze shook her head.

"Sunshine, you have _got_ to warn us about these kinds of things. Soon, you're going to tell me that you're the lost heir of Sir Aaron," Blaze laughed and looked at Dawn. "Wait, you're not are you?" she asked. Dawn smirked.

"Maybe, maybe not. You'll just have to find out," Dawn sang. Aisha laughed at Blaze's perplexed expression. "Oh crap, you guys we're going to be late come on!" Dawn gasped as she looked at her pokewatch. May grabbed Dawn's wrist and looked at the time.

"Eh, it's fine. If anything, we'll just get Blaze to get her father to let us off. Oh, did I tell you? Blaze's father is one of the principals of the school," May laughed at Dawn's expression. Even though she didn't like it, the girls walked at a leisurely pace.

"See Dawn? We made it on time. And look there are the guys!" Blaze grinned as she waved the five boys over. Gary was the first one to reach them and he slung a casual arm around Misty. Misty's eyes widened a bit but she played it cool and twirled out of his grasp and into Blaze's awaiting arms.

"Sorry Gary, not today," she laughed as the Oak boy rolled his eyes in amusement. These girls were something. May jumped on Gary's back.

"I'm hurt bro. How come you love Misty more than me?" she fake-sniffled. Drew noticed that Gary's cheeks were slightly tinted pink and smirked. Gary pushed May off his back and the brunette pouted.

"Maybe it's because she doesn't jump on my back like you missy," Gary laughed at May's wounded expression. "Oh suck it up," Gary brought his sister into a one armed hug and May wiggled to get out of his grasp.

"I liked it better when I was one your back," May sighed. They entered the gates and May finally escaped Gary's grasp and stood up straight.

"Well thanks to you guys, now we have to run to first period," May whined as she slapped her brother's arm. "I blame you for making me social and have friends." The brunette suddenly got an idea and turned to Drew. Before she even asked, Drew interjected.

"No, I am _not_ giving you a piggyback ride. God, what are we, 12?" he scoffed. May pouted and turned to Paul. Drew perked a brow in amusement. "Are you really going there miss immature?" Drew smirked. May glared at him.

"Don't _you_ even go there Hayden. I'm not the one who sleeps with a-mph!" May was suddenly cut off by Drew's hand over her mouth. The chartreuse haired boy glared at his favorite brunette.

"I swear, if you say anything," he hissed, the two of them not even realizing that they had started walking to first period on their own and left Dawn and Paul behind them. May licked Drew's hand and Drew immediately retracted to hand. "Argh, what the hell?" he groaned. May smirked triumphantly.

"I win!" she cheered. Drew sighed and ruffled her hair, knowing she hated that. May whined and ducked from underneath. "Ugh, you suck Drew!" May pouted but she couldn't stay mad at him for long. Seven and a half years of his constant teasing made her attuned to all his actions and moods. May suddenly frowned; Drew only incessantly teased her when something was wrong. It was basically his cover up.

"May?" Drew asked. He knew her well enough to know that she was analyzing him. Her expression was thoughtful and her sapphire orbs were calculating, watching his every move. May finally looked up at him, right into his moss green eyes.

"Is everything alright? I mean at home, with your mom and your family?" May suddenly asked. "Or is it anything with Gary or me?" Drew gaped; the brunette had a knack for knowing his problems. Then again, there weren't many of them. "What happened? Is your mom ok? Is your successful and show-off cousin from Unova Cilan coming?" May rambled. Drew put a hand on her shoulder. The two of them had stopped walking and were standing outside the door to the building where their class was being held.

"May, we're going to go head into class. I'll catch up with you later," Dawn nervously said. She received silence but went inside anyway, ready to give the two friends their privacy. Meanwhile, May and Drew were still talking, both leaning against the wall.

"May please, everything's fine," Drew sighed, shaking his head. The stubborn quality in May was something he both loved and hated. May scoffed in reply, knowing he was lying. "Maybelle Oak-Maple you know that I would tell you if something was wrong," Drew crossly said. May looked at him earnestly, her bright blues boring into his greens; Drew had unconsciously pinned her against the wall, his forehead almost touching hers, hands above her head.

"You promise?" she asked quietly. She could literally hear the sounds of both their breaths in the close proximity. May swallowed audibly and let out a shaky breath. Both were still looking into each other's eyes. The tense aura that surrounded them was palpable.

"Of course I promise. You know I never deny you princess," he whispered quietly while smirking. May had the urge to slap him but she was too busy falling into a daze. Their foreheads were touching and May could barely form sentences in her head. In the background, the bell rang, signaling that first period officially started.

"We're late," May murmured and the moment was broken. Drew pulled away and turned around, both of them trying to compose themselves. "Oh great, now we have to come up with an excuse to Mr. Tanner. Dammit Drew it's only the third day!" May groaned as she plopped her forehead on his shoulder. Drew smirked while patting her head.

"We can always tell Tanner that we were making out," Drew suggested. May lifted her head and slapped Drew's arm. "Ouch! The hell was that for?" he yelled. May flipped her hair.

"Do I really need to say it out loud? Seriously Hayden, come on!" May groaned, grabbing Drew's hand and pulling him inside, Drew smiling the whole time.

* * *

Dawn's eyes kept glancing at the door, hoping May and Drew would come in. They were already ten minutes late and the clock was still ticking. The bluenette could already hear the rumors of her friends forming in people's minds. _'Come on guys, where are you?'_ Dawn thought. Finally, the door open and May and Drew burst in. Mr. Tanner had began his lecture but was cut off when he heard the noise of the door. There was a moment of tense silence until the two of them started talking, both coming up with excuses.

"So sorry, May's a complete klutz,"

"Drew was making out with a girl and I literally had to _yank _him,"

"She is honestly so forgetful. Dragging me to her locker because she forgot a book,"

"He's such a player. He's doing this all the time!"

"Did you just call me klutzy?"

"Did you just call me a womanizer?"

"Well you are!"

"And I can say the same to you miss I-run-into-walls-everyday!"

"Man-whore!"

"Klutz!"

"ALRIGHT!" Mr. Tanner yelled. He finally had enough of their bickering and unlike the rest of the class, he didn't know that they argued like a married couple everyday. Drew and May fell silent. "Enough, I don't _care_ why you two are late. You could have been making out for all I know but just please; shut up and sit down!" The two walked to the back of the class, May's cheeks stained red while Drew's was just a soft pink.

"See? Told you we should have gone with the making out excuse," he whispered to her. May glared and shook her head. Dawn looked at her brunette friend worriedly. May had seemed concerned before.

"You are freaking impossible!" May hissed. May caught Dawn's eye. "I'm fine; just had a conversation with Drew is all," May smiled tightly. Dawn decided to leave it at that. Since Mr. Tanner decided that they were all mature enough to read the chapter in class, he let them read it in silence. Dawn ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook and quickly scribbled on it. She finished her quick note and passed it to May, who was on her right.

_R u ok? Things seemed tense :/_

_Fine. D and I were just talking. _

_So what happened? And don't tell me nothing! U were both blushing soo much ;)_

_I'll tell u l8r._

_K. But nothing's wrong?_

_Nope, peachy keen. =P_

_Riiiiiight. Excuse me for asking =P_

_Ugh don't even girl. Details in gym._

* * *

Dawn sighed when the bell finally rang. It had almost felt like an eternity since she had first stepped into her chemistry class and May was still in a daze. The bluenette noticed how her friend slightly jumped when she and Drew made skin to skin contact and she made a mental note of asking the brunette about it. While casually observing Drew and May, Dawn made contact with Paul's eyes. She couldn't help it- she was slightly daunted yet slightly gravitating towards them, her heart almost going into overdrive. There was just something about those eyes that seemed that they were looking into your soul.

"Dawn?" May called her name softly, breaking her train of thought. Dawn jerked a little and gave the brunette a smile. "Are _you_ ok?" she asked. Dawn sighed and nodded, not sure what to answer. Dawn shrugged.

"Slightly distracted. Come on, let's go to gym," the bluenette said. As the two girls were walking down the hallway and out the door, they met Blaze and Aisha waiting for them. Dawn grinned and waved with her free hand; May slightly waved but still looked in deep thought. Blaze looked at Aisha then Dawn who shook her head and pointed with her eyes at the receding grass-head. Blaze's mouth became an 'o' shape in understanding.

"So, ya ready for gym?" Blaze asked, flipping her hair in a Drew fashion. May finally seemed to come back to earth and groaned. "Ah, so the princess finally awakes," the redhead grinned. May rolled her eyes and flipped her wavy brunette hair.

"Oh don't even start with me today Blaze," May grunted. "I don't want to see that blasted southern idiot farmer girl, today even more so. It's bad enough that I have to see her in all my coordinating classes. Oh god..." May whined. "Tomorrow's Friday!Fridays are almost as bad as Laura coming!" she nearly cried. Dawn looked at Aisha and the tanned girl laughed.

"Fridays are the designated days for your special major. That's why you have all different classes on Friday. That's why you have your science class and then a bunch of other classes. Also, half of the student have Mock Battles last period. The other half has it 5th hour. Lucky for us, Blaze got her dad to put us all in the same hour," Aisha nodded proudly. Dawn laughed and shook her head.

"Yea well...remind me to thank her. I don't think I could stand a class with Paul all by myself let alone with you guys," the bluenette joked. "Actually, I think I got him to speak! It's a miracle," she laughed a little. May perked a brow at her.

"Him talking...wow, what an accomplishment. Now if only I can get Drew to stop teasing me or stop flirting with every human with a but and chest. It's bad enough that all the girls flock him but for him to return it..." May trailed off looking agitated. Blaze and Aisha simultaneously sighed- they had heard this from May for far too long to be intrigued by it. Dawn, on the other hand looked indignant.

"Tell him then! The only way he'll know how you feel about his addiction of the other sex is if you actually talk to him and tell him you feel," she exclaimed, waving her hands in extravagant motions. May ran a hand through her hair and shook her head.

"Yay we're here," May sighed with fake enthusiasm. "My favorite class of the day." Blaze laughed as she slung an arm around May's shoulder. "I'm serious! Holly loves to show off everything to me and it's annoying!" the brunette whined. May turned to her red haired friend. "Get Byron to set her straight?" Blaze flushed.

"Shut up or I'll smash your pretty little face into the concrete," she deadpanned. May smirked, obviously rubbed off from Drew, and opened the door for them to enter the gym. It seemed like they were one of the first ones there so the girls went to one corner of the gym, for the locker room wasn't open yet.

"So how did everyone meet?" Dawn asked. "I know that you and Gary are siblings and I know that you Mist met in preschool...but how did the rest of you meet? And who is this Laura person?"

"Well..."

.

"_Wee! Push me higher Gary!" May Oak squealed. Gary rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless at his four year old sister. She was such a child, but then again, so was he. It wasn't everyday that the two of them got to swing on the big kid swings since Mommy and Daddy didn't like them to be outside in public, but May was an adventurous one. _

"_May, are you sure you want to go this high? Mommy said we weren't allowed to..." Gary trailed off as May pouted. He sighed, knowing that he had been defeated. "Fine, but if you get hurt, don't come crying to me," he warned, pushing her. _

"_All righty, I'm gonna jump off in 3, 2, 1-" the little brunette was cut off as she flew from the swing and landed on the hard ground. "Ah!" she screamed as her bare skin come into contact with some stray rocks and pebbles. The skin split and red liquid oozed out of the various gashes. _

"_May!" Gary cried, struggling to push the swing. Meanwhile, another little boy came up to her and rolled his eyes, crouching down at her. May looked up, tears pooling her eyes yet no tears were streaming and her face had a huge grin._

"_You're so stupid. You didn't jump off right; look, you're seriously hurt," he criticized her with a cool gaze yet did nothing to help her. Five year old Gary ran up to his sister and put his hands on his hips while standing up in front of her protectively. _

"_And who are you?" he asked glaring at this newcomer. The boy looked down at the girl and back up at the boy. There was just something about this brunette boy that he liked. A small smile played on his face. His mommy told him not to talk to strangers, but there was just something different about these two._

"_I'm Drew," he said._

_._

"_Why doesn't he act like I'm in the room?" six year old May whined. Misty looked at her friend and sighed. Boys were annoying but apparently May wanted to prove herself. "Even Gary ignores me these days! It's like I'm invisible to them!" she sighed. _

"_May, you're not invisible. They're just stupid." Misty declared. "Let's get your mom to help us bake some cookies!" Misty squealed. May sighed, knowing her friend was right. It was so upsetting that she only had one friend here. _

"_Alright...I guess you're right. I think I know how to use the mixer now!" she grinned, running to the kitchen but tripping on the last step. "Eep!" she cried. _

"_May! You've gotta be careful! It might become a habit!" Misty tried to speak through her giggles as she helped her best friend up. May laughed and shook her head. _

"_You're so silly! As if I'd run into walls when I'm older! Come on, the kitchen's right there!" she squealed. The two ran into the kitchen but stopped when they saw seven year olds Gary and Drew playing with trading cards on the kitchen table. May cleared her throat. _

"_Oh hey May!" Gary smiled and then looked back at Drew. "I'll trade you my Granbull for your Graveler," Gary grinned. Drew thought about him. _

"_Fine. Graveler wouldn't do well in a performance round anyway. His moves are pretty limited," the seven year old Drew nodded wisely. May frowned. _

"_Actually, there a lot of things you can do with Graveler. Just because he doesn't look as cool as Granbull doesn't mean that he's a worthless pokemon. A _real_ coordinator would know how to use those limited moves to their advantage. All pokemon have potential," May retorted. As she was speaking, Drew and Gary slowly looked up from their cards and Misty looked sideways at her friend, all of them shocked. There was a weird look in Drew's eyes and this foreign feeling in Drew's body. Gary just looked proud. _

"_Was there something you wanted?" Drew asked in a cool voice. May glared at him and Misty glared at Drew for being so brash to her best friend. _

"_We want to bake cookies here so we need the kitchen," Misty said. Gary turned to Misty and smirked while Misty glared. _

"_We were here first! So smell ya' later girls," he smirked. Misty glared and May just looked outraged and her hand were instantly on her hips. She couldn't believe how much her brother had changed in a year. _

"_There are other places you can go to! This house is huge! If you don't move, I'm gonna beat you up!" May threatened in her slightly high pitched voice. She looked like the least threatening person in the room in her yellow dress and ribbon-tied pigtails yet Drew got up. _

"_Come on, let's just go. It's not even worth fighting with these two," he drawled, looking at the two girls like they were scum. Gary puffed his cheeks but got up and followed his friend. _

_Later, they came back to see the girls laughing like crazy as they were covered from head to toe in flour. May had successfully used the mixer and her hands were sticky with dough. However, there was a huge smile on her face and her laugh was infectious as Gary initially glared but then wound up laughing at his little sister. Drew even cracked a smile. Misty finally looked comfortable in the huge house, although she had known May for three years now. She was trying to calm herself down but she just couldn't. It was the first time in years that she had felt so free and happy ever since Mommy and Daddy had never come back from their vacation. _

_Drew's heart pounded as he watched the flour-covered brunette. There was a weird pattering in his heart that sounded like he had just run a race or sprinted somewhere. She just _radiated_, with those little pigtails of hers and her round cherubic face. There was something about her that made him want to talk to her more, pay attention to her more. However, it would take him years to realize that this was the day he had fallen for the brunette._

_._

"_Misty, _please_ stay in your dress and Gary! Stop fiddling with your cuffs! You look adorable!" Caroline Oak squealed. "We're having dinner with your father's colleague," she said as her smile faded. _

_Eight year old May looked down, her eyes sad. She knew that her mother and father weren't on good terms but she had hope in heart that they could patch things up. There was also something very suspicious about her mother's tone of voice when she said 'colleague'. But at least Gary, Misty, and Drew would all be there to help her. _

_This was how they all wound up at the huge Oak dining table. Gary was wise enough to know that something big was about to happen when he saw that his father and his colleague were sitting together while his mother was sitting on the other end of the table. However, he knew that May didn't really see anything wrong; his sister liked to see the best in everyone and that was often the cause of her downfall. Drew was on one side of May while Misty was on another. The table was tense and the only sound was of some quiet chatter and silverware clattering on plates. Suddenly, Grayson Oak spoke up. _

"_May, Gary? Your mother and I have a few announcements we'd like to make." Grayson's heart broke when he saw the hope in his little girl's eyes. He seemed to falter for a moment before he had the courage to speak up. "You know that your mother and I have been going through some rough times..." he faltered once more. "But we're getting a divorce. Gwen is our lawyer who's here to get the papers finalized."_

_The only sound that could be heard was the clattering of May's fork on her plate. Her sapphire eyes had gone sapphire and glassy and her lower lip trembled. Caroline looked at her daughter, her own eyes glassy. She knew that this was devastating but this wasn't the worst news. Nine year old Gary's eyes had hardened but he was more worried for his sister. Drew had turned to May and Misty gripped her hand. Caroline swallowed. _

"_Sweetie...we're moving to Petalburg Town. I...I met someone there. Someone special," she whispered. May made a tiny whimper as a tear fell from her eye. Nine year old Drew felt his heart clench; never before had he ever seen May cry, not even when she had fallen off from that swing and landed on the rocks all bloody and scratched up four years ago. He helplessly watched her rub her eyes and then get up from the chair, stumble on it because her eyes were closed, and run away. The three children went after her. _

"_May!" "Baby girl!" Caroline and Grayson called her at the same time. _

_._

_This was the second time May Oak cried as far as she could remember. Even Misty, Gary, and Drew were a bit teary themselves. This time there was a moving truck rumbling in the background. Misty started to wail and then Gary felt tears streaming down his face. Drew's emerald eyes were glassy as the three of them stood in front of May. May literally flung herself onto Drew and hugged him. The green haired boy took a deep breath and exhaled shakily as he hugged his girl best friend for the last time. They stood like that for a good five minutes before May could compose herself to let go. _

"_I'm going to miss you," she whispered tearfully. Drew nodded and then hugged her one last time and whispered something in her ear that made her whimper before patting her head and stepping back. _

_Misty was next. The two girls stood there for a few seconds then simultaneously began to cry and hug each other. They were both blubbering messes but neither cared and were talking over one another. Caroline watched from the distance as she felt tears well up into her own eyes. She knew how unfair it was to rip her child from her whole life but she had gained custody of May while Grayson had gained custody of Gary. Finally Misty and May let go though May's gaze lingered on the ginger before finally meeting Gary's gaze. _

_The two of them stood there, not even knowing how to express their feelings. They had taken for granted that they would be together forever and wasted all the times they had together. All the fights, harsh words exchanged, and possessions broken seemed to fade from one another as Gary let out a pitiful wail and then May whimpered and then everything was just a teary mess. The siblings just couldn't seem to let go of each other nor did they _want_ to let go of each other. Caroline sucked her breath then closed her eyes and shouted in the most stable voice she could that they had to go. _

_This just made May cry harder but she finally let go of Gary. She kissed his cheek and hugged him one last time before tearing up again and running away into the truck, her sniffles quite loud. Finally, the truck started to move and May looked out the window to see her brother and friends waving to her. She waved until they were little dots in the far distance and didn't stop until they turned onto the exit to get to Route 17._

_._

_It was ten year old May's birthday and her mother and Norman had insisted on having a birthday party for her. Although she tried her best, it was no secret that for the past two years, she had been hopping on a train to get to Pallet Town. She was so thankful for her rich mother and step-father, who was the leader of the Petalburg gym. He even had a son who was three years younger than her so she wasn't alone. Yet no one could replace her life in Pallet. _

_So she had made it her mission to visit Pallet Town every two weeks or so. Although she wished she could go every week, she knew that she should spend some time with her new family in Petalburg. May was currently heading down to the train station where she purchased a ticket for Pallet Town. Her name had been formally changed to May Oak-Maple and it had been a long time since she had been called May Oak. She fondly remembered the first time she had come back to Pallet Town and shocked Drew, Gary, and Misty. _

_She was excited to spend her tenth birthday like she had spent her ninth birthday; with all of her friends back in Pallet Town. She boarded the train and tried to keep the butterfree in her stomach calm. Four hours later, she finally reached Pallet Town and she jumped off the train station to walk down the familiar route to her old house. To her dismay, when she got there, she learned that Gary and Drew had moved to another city and Misty had gone back to Cerulean. Her heart shattered again for the first time in two years. Cerulean was too far away for her to visit and she had no idea where Gary and Drew had moved to. Tears welled up in her eyes and she sniffled a little as she turned back around and headed for the train station once more. Her mother had to hold her all night when she came home at eight o'clock with a wet face and soiled party dress._

_._

"_We're moving _again_?" eleven year old May Maple growled. She had grown guts over the years and it wasn't uncommon for her to just out-right refuse her parents. Norman and Caroline sighed at their stubborn daughter. Norman was losing patience; he had done absolutely nothing wrong yet she refused to treat him like her father. Deep in his heart, he knew that she just wanted her normal life again but when he heard her refusal and insolent tone, he just lost it. _

"_May, what's wrong with you? I've been trying for three years to get you to accept me yet you shoot down everything that I've ever done. Your brother is affected by this too and it's not fair to him that you act so selfishly and just make everyday into a chore!" he roared. May's glare had faded and had been reduced to the most hurt look he had ever seen in a child. Caroline had stopped what she was doing and looked at her husband in shock. _

"_My _brother_? I'll tell you about my brother. His name is Gary Oak and he's probably the one who has been affected more than any of you guys! Max is young and I love him, but he's my step-brother. He doesn't know the meaning of losing a father, a sibling, friends, an _entire life_ worth of memories! I've lost everything! My mother loves you and I've had to sacrifice everything and everyone I have ever loved! And now they're gone! I don't know where they are or what they're doing. You want to rip me out of another town? Fine, be my guest. I accept you as my step-father and I accept you as the man my mother loves. But I will _never_ replace my father. I don't know how 'selfish' I've been acting but I have treated Max with every ounce of love and respect ever since I got here. I don't care anymore. Just rip me out of my life again and see how much I care!." May spat and stormed up to her room. _

_Norman looked shell-shocked at what his step-daughter said. Caroline glared at him and Norman looked down, ashamed. Using the term 'your brother' had been a low blow for her and he saw how close May and Max had become. Caroline shook her head and continued making dinner. May didn't come down that night._

_._

_Twelve year old May's heart stuttered as she saw the giant mansion they were moving too. Nine year old Max had already run upstairs to pick his room but May took her sweet time. The house reminded her of the old mansion she used to live in when her parents were still together. Another town, another year of being the new kid no one likes. Blaziken and Beautifly were on either side of her; Wartortle and Glaceon were both practicing their ice moves and Venasaur was in the pokemon garden in the back of the house. Her Delcatty was probably somewhere in the house. _

_She was warned that school was on Monday and she really didn't want to go. She would inevitably end up as the loner kid again, due to her shy nature. Yes she was loud and obnoxious, but only with people she knew. May sighed once more and went to go choose her room, the boxes in her hand. _

_Monday rolled around the corner and May sullenly got on the bus to LaRousse Junior High. The moment she had emerged from the steps, everyone looked at her and she immediately looked down and chose the first seat. Her hair had fallen from their pigtails and she now wore her hair straight. She was wearing a flowy top and skinny jeans with boots tucked in. When she got to school, she was utterly confused and looked at her schedule with confused eyes. _

"_Ha, ha look at the new girl!" a voice jeered. May continued to look down and try to find her way until she bumped into someone. _

"_Watch where you're going!" a voice snapped. May looked up, utterly terrified and started to apologize to the black haired girl. Another black haired girl with gorgeous almond eyes and creamy tan skin looked apologetic and glared at her friend. "Sha, don't even start with me," the girl glared and May smiled weakly. "So are you new here?" the girl asked. May nodded shyly. "Well, I'm Blaze Malcolm, and as I'm sure you've figured out by now, she's Aisha Evans." _

"_I'm May Maple. It's nice to meet you guys," May said softly. Aisha smiled sweetly. _

"_It's nice to meet you too May! It must feel weird to be the new kid, huh?" she questioned sympathetically. With a weak grin, May shrugged. _

"_I'm used to it. I've moved several times," she laughed. Her laugh was a pealing bell and infectious. Her sapphire eyes were gentle and they held a certain wisdom to them. May was glad she found two people she could finally call her friends. _

_It was a week later, at lunch, where May's life changed. She had been buying lunch and had the tray in her hands when someone tripped her and she fell face-first onto the ground, spilling sauce all over her white shirt. Everyone laughed until three people emerged, trying to figure out what all the commotion was about. May had to swallow down her tears as she got up into a sitting position and tried to wipe the stains off her shirt. _

"_All right, who thought it would be funny to trip the new kid?" a voice growled. It sounded oddly familiar yet May couldn't place it. The person who spoke up for her came around to her and started to pick up her stuff. May blushed and hid behind her brown hair. "Hey are you ok-May?" the voice asked and then suddenly stopped as he realized who it was. Meanwhile, May was experiencing the same thing. _

"_Gary?" she asked tearfully. Fresh tears had welled up into her eyes as she picked herself up. She got up and tucked her brunette hair behind her ear, pushed back her tears...then raised her hand and slapped him. The sound of her hand making contact with his cheek resounded throughout the whole cafeteria._

_Blaze and Aisha came running to their new friend. "May, what do you think you're doing? That's Gary freaking Oak!" Blaze cried. Her cry caused the two people behind to come forward and yell at the girl when they met eyes and stopped short. _

"_May!" the ginger breathed. Misty Waterflower, in the living flesh. May was breathing heavily and choking on her sobs at the same time. _

"_That's for not writing to me for two and a half years." Drew had come up at this point and May looked at him with tearful eyes. She tried to slap his cheek but he caught both of her fists so she kneed him in the stomach. "This is for missing m y eleventh birthday!" she screamed. And then Drew pulled her in and she hugged him while crying. Gary and Misty joined this hug while everyone looked on with confusion. _

"_May..." Drew whispered brokenly. Even after all these years, he still hated to see her cry. May sniffled and pulled away and then gasped. _

"_Arceus, I ruined your shirt!" she gasped as she tried to wipe it off of him. This brought Gary back to what had brought him here in the first place. _

"_Who tripped her?" This time, his voice was ferocious. Everyone in the cafeteria jumped at his tone. A blonde girl stepped up. _

"_Maybe I did maybe I didn't. In all honesty, that's what she gets for slapping Drew...and you of course," she quickly inserted. Gary turned on her as well as Drew and Misty. May looked on from the back, her expression terrified. She hadn't heard Gary's protective voice in so long, not since they had met Drew. _

"_How dare you do that to her!" he shouted. The blonde looked indignant as she placed her hands on her hips. She was a gorgeous girl with pale blonde hair and pink eyes. She had an oval face and huge eyes and full lips. Though she was dressed in a simple tank top and jeans, they fit her body perfectly and May instantly felt intimidated by her. _

"_And what on earth makes her so special?" she drawled in a southern accent. Gary literally growled and Drew narrowed his cold eyes. _

"_DAMNIT HOLLY SHE'S MY SISTER!" he roared and everyone froze. No one _ever_ messed with anyone with a connection to Gary. The blonde swallowed audibly. _

"_But her name's May Maple!" she weakly said. Gary growled._

"_Her name's May Oak-Maple. Our parents got divorced four years ago." Holly actually looked scared. _

"_Look Gary, I didn't know," she laughed nervously. "Drew, doll, please back me up," Holly pleaded weakly. Drew gazed at her coldly, not responding. May pushed through. _

"_You guys, it's fine. I...it's not a big deal, really." Drew turned to her, eyes instantly softening. _

"_May...that's the shirt your grandmother gave you before..." he trailed off uncertainly. _

"_Really, it's ok. It's happened before, I'm used to it," May mentally slapped her head; obviously wrong thing to say. Now all three of her friends turned to her. Gary's black eyes blazed but softened when he saw May's terrified face. _

"_How long have you been bullied?" he asked softly, gripping her shoulders. May squeezed her eyes shut; Gary squeezed harder. "How long May?" Drew turned to his best friend. _

"_Gary, let go of her," he hissed. May was still looking away. "Let go bro. Can't you see you're hurting her?" he glared with that Drew gaze of his. Gary shakily inhaled and let go. _

"_I've been bullied ever since I moved to Petalburg. But honestly Gar, what did you expect?" she whispered. Misty had been silent this whole time, shaking her head. The crowd slowly got back to it's regular chatter, though now, everyone was talking about the new girl. _

"_Guys, let's go to our table. GUYS!" she screeched when they didn't listen. Gary hugged his sister but she got out of his grasp. _

"_I'm not going unless they come with me," she glared at them, and that's when everyone saw the Oak fire burn in her eyes. Her thumb had been pointed in the direction of Blaze and Aisha. Aisha looked nervous while Blaze looked ferocious. Gary nodded. _

"_Anything you want little sis," he smiled. Blaze and Aisha looked at each other with wide eyes but hurried towards May nonetheless. They were led to a table where there were two other guys sitting there. "This is Byron and Rocky. Guys, this is Blaze, Aisha...and my sister, May," Gary smiled. Blaze nodded and Aisha waved. _

"_Dude, you're sister? She's gorgeous!" Byron breathed and Blaze glared at him. She instantly didn't like him. "I mean..." he faltered when he saw Drew and Gary's simultaneous glare. Rocky just stared at Aisha, who blushed at his scrutinizing stare. _

_._

"_So how's Dad and Gwen?" May asked but looked perplexed when Gary, Misty, and Drew all laughed. "Well excuse me for asking." Gary sobered._

"_No, May, I only laughed because Dad and Gwen got a divorce." May looked shocked. "Yea, I was shocked too. Now he's dating some chick named Laura." May nodded. _

"_Yea, well, I wouldn't have had to ask if you guys just wrote to me!" she glared. "I was basically friendless for four years!" she glared at her brother and best friends. Blaze slowly looked at the four of them. _

"_So you guys were legitimate friends?" she asked. Misty, Gary, and Drew had been the legendary three for as long as all three of them had been here in LaRousse. Misty laughed. _

"_Yea, we've been friends for nine years now!" she said proudly, laying her head on May's shoulder. Aisha laughed. _

"_Who would have thought that the Oak siblings were polar opposites? Loud Gary and soft and shy May-what?" she asked when she saw Gary and Drew looking at her strangely. Misty snorted. _

"_May? Shy? You guys must have been dreaming. There's not way our May is that shy unless..." Misty trailed off looking at her best friend. "Have you seriously become shy after all these years?" May blushed. Drew smirked. _

"_Wow...the little girl who I met when she fell off the swing is different from the one I see here," he commented lazily. May glared at him but smirked her own smirk. _

"_Oh, so should I tell them about the tea party and how-mph!" she cried as his hand covered her mouth. _

_While all of this was happening, no one noticed a certain blonde girl glaring at May and Drew. _

_._

"Wow..." Dawn breathed. "So even then Holly was a huge jerk and in love with Drew." May snorted as she got up from her sitting position. Enough people had come into the gym for them to open the locker room. The girls had been listening to the story with amused faces.

"Don't I know it," she sighed just as Holly passed them, causing the four girls to laugh. Holly turned and glared at them, a bandage over her nose-a glaring reminder of two days ago.

"What are y'all laughing at?" she said irritably. May snorted again. "Oh shut up," she snapped.


	6. Chapter 6

**Uh...hi guys! Guess what? I'm not dead! So I'm really really really really sorry I haven't posted in a while but all this school stuff has started to get to me and I never had the time to write the chapter and even when I did, I never had the time or partial inspiration to finish it. But anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I had a fun time delving into the lives of the different characters and their relationships (yay, cute chapter is cute). It was honestly so cute writing Blaze and Byron because I picture their relationship to be flirty and bantering, kind of like how Kensi and Deeks are on NCIS LA. Meanwhile, I feel like Aisha is kind of the shy girl of the group but Rocky brings out the best in her and gets her riled up to the point where she breaks out of her shell and shows her true nature to everyone. **

**Anyway, I really do hope you enjoy this chapter, since it took me forever to write. I would apologize, but I'm not THAT sorry because I only want you guys to see my best work, and even though I know I'm going to hate it in a few months, I'm pretty proud of this chapter. I think I incorporated all of their personalities pretty well and gave them all equal time to shine. Next chapter is going to be the big day, Friday. So look forward to Blaze and Byron's battle, Eeveeite and Holly drama, and a fun time at Jynx where things may or may not get a bit heated. But you'll just have to wait and see.**

**As usual, thank you all so much for sticking with me and not yelling at me too much about my little absence (no TheScoutFinch, I'm not dead, just coming back with a bang [but thanks for caring]). It means the world to me when I'm doing homework and my computer dings with the new notification of mail and I see that someone left a review on my story. It seriously makes my day when I hear that you guys love the story and that you've been waiting for this chapter forever. I plan to take this story pretty far, so brave the ride with me my little Pikachus :D**

**Anyways, enough of my insistent rambling, and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Blaze Malcolm was walking to Essential Battle Skills class which was located in Malcolm Arena, an addition her parents had made when they donated a bunch of money to the school. She sighed knowing that today was the day that someone would demonstrate their pokemon and Gary and Paul were usually picked. As much as she loved a good battle, sometimes things became too repetitive. She laughed to herself at her worries; at least she could relax for a period. Gym was filled with reminiscing of times when only she and Aisha were together and people would ignore them or jeer at them. If it wasn't for May, she would have never been where she was today. She had found a group of friends who accepted her for who she was and didn't mind her feistiness.

Blaze entered Malcolm Arena and was surprised to see that Byron had saved her a seat. Although he annoyed her to no end with his flippant attitude, she still had a soft spot for him. Shaking her head at her foolishness, she climbed up the steps and slipped into the seat next to the water pokemon trainer. Flareon sat obediently at her feet and Blaze absentmindedly stroked the pokemon's fur. The cat pokemon purred and Blaze turned to Byron while Misty slipped in next to Blaze.

"Do you think it's going to be Gary and Paul again?" she asked. Byron laughed a bit. Byron looked almost naked without his faithful partner next to him, but Samurott had to be in his pokeball because he was too big.

"Hopefully not. It would be way too repetitive," he nodded, almost sage-like. Blaze looked at him with a shocked experience. "What?" he asked. Blaze laughed and shook her head.

"It's funny because I was thinking almost the exact same thing like five minutes ago," she grinned and shook her head again. Mr. Ryder had blown his whistle and everyone had fallen silent.

"Welcome to Essential Battle Skills! I'm your teacher and referee Mr. Ryder. Now as most of you know, I like to have a demonstration battle with two of my students. Gary, Ash, get down here," Mr. Ryder called and the class perked up a bit at the new battle tag team. "But before you guys start, I've got a special request from the vice principal." Blaze perked up at this. "Blaze Malcolm and Byron Carter are to battle as one of tomorrow's mock battles." He read aloud and Blaze and Byron stared at each other in shock. Didn't they know how quick this battle would be? Fire was easily obliterated by water. Misty watched her two friends, a knowing look twinkling in her eyes.

The coach spoke over the swelling murmur that had taken over the room with a strict expression on his face and an annoyed look in his eyes. "Anyway, let's get on with the battle!"

Gary and Ash stood in front of each other, glaring. Apart from Gary's friendship with Drew, everyone knew about Gary's rivalry with Ash. Ash's pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder. Gary sighed and then searched his pokeball for which pokemon he would use. Finally he smirked and then enlarged his pokeball. He kissed the ball and then released it into the air. There was a flash of red and then a sleek black cat like pokemon emerged. Blaze smirked as she realized that Ash would be in for a pleasant surprise. Umbreon was a quick pokemon, with stats that succeeded that of Ash's pikachu.

"Gary, I haven't seen your Umbreon ever since it first evolved," he called out to the brunette. Gary just smirked and looked down at Umbreon that back up at the raven haired boy in such a manner that it elicited squeals from the girls.

"Well Ashy boy, I must say that you are in for a surprise," Gary called back. Umbreon snarled and grimaced baring its teeth. "It looks like Umbreon wants to get started with the battle. Coach?" the chestnut-brunette turned to his teacher, who looked absolutely dumbfounded at the previous trash talk that had just ensued. He speechlessly nodded. "Alright then, Umbreon let's start off with agility followed by rapid cannon shadow ball!" he commanded. Umbreon yowled and flashed off.

Pikachu looked dumbfounded and quickly dodged an oncoming shadow ball. Suddenly, everyone learned what rapid cannon fireball was. There were dozens of shadow balls hurtling at the speed of sound causing Pikachu to quickly dodge it. Ash grit his teeth; he wouldn't give up, couldn't give up now, now that all the girls were watching. Unfortunately, one of them hit Pikachu, who squealed in pain.

"Alright Pikachu, zap cannon, come on!" Ash hollered at his faithful companion. The mouse pokemon unleashed a mighty force of electricity that Umbreon almost managed to dodge; however, Gary could see that Umbreon had been hit and had taken major damage. The brunette grit his teeth- he had to find a way to stall for time so Umbreon could gather his wits again.

"Umbreon, use double team and take cover somewhere!" Gary ordered. The black cat pokemon complied and suddenly, twenty Umbreon clones appeared. The whole room had gone silent throughout the whole ordeal; the standard for double team was seven, maybe eight. Misty's eyes were shining as she watched one of her best friends shine on the stage. Gary looked like he belonged there; he owned the attention of everyone with not only his magnificent looks but also his more than advanced battle skills. It was obvious that the male Oak had had a lot of time to refine his strategies.

"Ash seems to be panicking," Misty commented quietly. Blaze turned to her friend, almost surprised that she hadn't noticed the redhead yet. "Surprised to see me? Ha, I'm glad something finally snapped you out of your Byron-induced-daze," she smirked. Blaze pouted and socked Misty's arm.

"He's _so_ trying to impress you," Blaze laughed silently. Misty perked an eyebrow.

"Blaze, Ash likes Leaf," Misty laughed and it was Blaze's turn to perk an eyebrow at her fellow redhead. Misty noticed Blaze's look and frowned. "What?"

"Hon, I wasn't talking about Ash. I was talking about _Gary_. Ash is only panicking because Gary's stepped up his game to impress _you_," the fire-crazed girl giggled. Misty gaped before shaking her head, essentially ridding any thoughts of Gary actually having feelings for her.

"Sweetie, Gary likes Leaf too. Have you seriously not seen them? He's head over heels for that girl," Misty tried to correct Blaze, but her fellow redhead just wouldn't have it. Misty blushed and turned back to the battle. It was obvious that even though Gary clearly had the upper hand right now, both pokemon had been severely taxed by the intense battling. Misty could literally see the idea pop into Gary's head before he spoke. Blaze noticed the gleam in Misty's eyes. "Uh...Red? Something wrong?"

"Gary's gonna end this and Ash is going to be in for a big surprise," she smirked. Blaze looked at Misty questioningly but didn't ask anything. Suddenly, Gary called for Umbreon to stop going on the offensive and fall back.

"What the hell is Oak doing?" Blaze growled. Misty smiled in a 'you'll see' kind of way and turned back. Everyone, including Ash, was confused on why the Oak had suddenly just stopped attacked. And then Gary spoke.

"Umbreon, use Last Resort."

* * *

"Holy crap Oak, that was pretty damn amazing. Using such a powerful move like that and literally pulverizing Ash. Ha, ya should have seen the look on his face!" Blaze complimented her friend's brother. Gary smirked and shook his head while slinging her arm around Misty's shoulder. "Aw snap I have to go meet with my group for Pokemon Fest. I'll catch you guys later!" Blaze said as she started to run in the opposite direction. Byron looked at her as she ran and then shook his head and looked at Misty and Gary.

"Well, I'll give you guys quality time together. I'm gonna jet and practice for tomorrow," Byron nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets while walking towards the Waterflower Pool facility. It hadn't escaped his knowledge that the two of them had briefly blushed before becoming engrossed in each other again.

Misty rested her head on Gary's shoulder since no one was really there. It wasn't that her friends didn't know how close she was to Gary, but it was just she didn't want to hear all their teasing and jeering comments. Gary turned to Misty. "So Red, you never congratulated me on my win," Gary teased. Misty rolled her eyes.

"I knew what you were going to do the moment I saw that gleam in your eyes," she flippantly commented. Gary's smirk broadened.

"You were staring at me?" he asked. Misty blushed and kicked Gary and he whined in pain. "Geez Red, calm yourself. 'Sides, I was just kidding. But it would be really nice to hear you compliment me for once," Gary pouted. Misty repressed her urge to laugh. It was times like these when anyone could plainly see that May and Gary were siblings. They're doe-eyed pouts were nearly similar in looks and results.

"Gary, trust me. If a small compliment even _escaped_ my mouth, your ego would grow to the size of the whole Sinnoh region. Plus, do you really need me to tell you that you did a good job? There are plenty of people to tell you that," Misty giggled, not knowing why Gary was trying so hard to get a compliment out of her.

"Yea, well, it's not the same," Gary murmured, not really meaning for her to hear it. Misty's eyes widened when she heard the comment and her cheeks turned flush red. There were far and few times, but the redhead knew when the male Oak was being serious, and now was one of those times. She was so thankful that her head was nestled in the crook of his shoulder and he couldn't see her blush. After finally composing herself, Misty untangled her body from Gary's warm embrace. "You going?" he asked and Misty couldn't help but wonder if there was tinge of disappointment laced in his tone.

"Yea, I'm having lunch with May and the rest of the girls. You're welcome to join," Misty invited, her smile warm and shy. Gary smiled back; he loved it when he could be real with her and not have to smirk like some millionaire playboy. When they were alone there were no real barriers between them. Gary realized that Misty was waiting for answer while he smiled like an idiot.

"Ah, no. It's been a while since you had lunch with them; you have fun," Gary said, squeezing her shoulder. Misty smiled and just spontaneously hugged him. Gary was surprised but he melted into it. Her head rested on the crook of his neck and when he inhaled, he could smell the salt and lavender in her hair. Her breath ticked his neck and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"By the way Oak, you were amazing out there," she whispered softly before letting go, smiling, and then running in the direction of the eating area. Gary just stood there, shell shocked and his face flushed red. A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Gary, you ok there?" the voice asked. Gary turned and met green eyes. He smiled and stuck one hand in his pocket.

"I'm fine Leaf; just fine. Say, you want to have lunch with me?"

* * *

Dawn walked out of her Fine Arts II class with Marina by her side. She was so happy that she had someone to talk to and that she wasn't alone. Aisha had switched out of that class to go to Anatomy and she had been left all alone. Thankfully, she and Marina had talked enough to become comfortable enough to talk to each other during class.

Marina had a mind like no other; she was creative and gorgeous and her style was modern and chic. The aqua haired girl was also in the same grade as her so now they had even more things in common. Not only was Marina creative, but she was also kind and sweet. Essentially, she was the ideal student. They were chatting when Marina suddenly stopped and waved. Dawn turned to her new friend with a smile on her face. "Now who is that cute boy over there?" Dawn smirked. Marina smiled back brightly.

"That's my boyfriend, Jimmy. I'll talk to you later Dawn; see ya after school!" she called as she went over to the blue haired, capped boy. Dawn shook her head and walked towards the outdoor cafeteria only to run into someone.

"Oh, it's just you Troublesome," Paul growled and Dawn mentally slapped herself. She had done so good in avoiding him but she forgot that he had the same lunch period as her.

"Well excuse me for going to this school Paul," Dawn sniffed while smoothing down her skirt. "I just don't understand why you have to be so mean all the time. It's not like I even did something terrible to you!" Dawn raged. Paul rolled his eyes, a disgruntled expression taking over his face.

"You should really stop running into me. Soon, I'm going to think that you're stalking me," Paul smirked coldly while Dawn flushed. She slung her navy blue hair over her shoulder.

"You're one to talk. I was simply minding my own business. Now if you excuse me, I have to go to lunch," Dawn said in a sugar-sweet tone. Paul's eye twitched but he left her in peace. The bluenette stared after him until a voice jostled her out of her thoughts.

"Dawn?" a soft voice asked. Dawn turned to see the smiling face of Aisha Evans. The tanned girl smiled and linked her arm in Dawn's. "You look troubled...so let's go to lunch. I don't know what it is, but at least you have the Eeveeites to make you feel better!" she grinned and dragged the unsuspecting girl to the table beneath the cherry blossom tree. There, Dawn saw that Drew, Rocky, Byron, and the rest of the girls were just arriving.

"Hey sunshine, nice of you to join us," Blaze smirked. "Did you get stopped by-mph!" Blaze was cut off by Byron's hand over her mouth. Blaze licked his hand and Byron immediately retracted it. "Buzz off Carter!" the flaming haired girl pouted.

"Ah, speaking of Blaze and Byron, a little birdie in the gym told me that you two are forced to battle against each other tomorrow," May grinned a sinister grin. Blaze rolled her hands and completely forgot about yelling at Byron and turned to May.

"I honestly have no idea what my mother or father was thinking. Like seriously, it's not like the pokemon we use are polar opposites!" she drawled while crossing her arms and frowning. Dawn giggled and Blaze glared at her.

"Oh calm down. I was just picturing your angry face when Byron beats you is all," Dawn smiled innocently. The whole table went silent with shock but no one except Drew and May could see what Dawn was really up to. Blaze fumed and one could literally see the steam coming out of her ears.

"HA! Have _him_ of all people beat me? I'd rather pay to see every single legendary pokemon in history come together and have a picnic!" she scoffed. As it to prove how angry she was, she took her salad fork and stabbed her salad. "I'll show you," she muttered to her salad, as if imagining Byron's face on it and repeatedly stabbed it, causing tiny pieces of lettuce covered in dressing to splatter everywhere. "Uh..." she looked up with embarrassment flooding her face. Dawn started to giggle and soon everyone started to laugh, the bluenette's laugh utterly contagious.

"Ugh, Arceus Blaze, you better clean this up or you're really gonna get it," Misty groaned while wiping off remnants of ranch dressing off her cheek. May sobered up a bit and continued eating her lunch and then swallowing to say something.

"So does everyone know what they're being for Halloween?" she asked. The whole table looked at her like she was crazy. "Wait, am I seriously the only one dressing up for Halloween? You know it's like a mandatory thing to dress up for the dance right...?" May laughed incredulously. Drew was the first one to actually speak.

"My dear brunette, you're not being serious are you?" Drew laughed in shock. May perked a brow and looked at him, and Drew sighed. "Look May, it's a wonderful idea and all but no one wants to dress up, right guys?" The gang all nodded; Dawn stayed indifferent.

"But Drew...everyone on the committee liked the idea...plus I got stylish outfits for all of us!" May pouted, her sapphire eyes shining in Drew's direction.

Misty slapped her forehead.

"Oh Mew, it's only going to take a few seconds before he crumbles," Misty sighed. Aisha giggled and Blaze grimaced. Byron and Rocky just smirked at each other. Drew finally sighed and grumbled something. May had a hint of a smirk playing on her face.

"What was that Drew? I couldn't hear you," she practically sang. Drew glared at her and then turned to the rest of the group, who just simply shook their heads, knowing the battle was lost for them. May squealed and clapped her hands, eagerly digging into her lettuce and tomato Panini sandwich.

"Kiss up," Rocky coughed. May glared at him and Rocky winked before bursting out into laughter. The Hispanic boy turned to Aisha. "So...no dance practice today?" he asked. The girls just smiled at each other and resumed eating while listening in discreetly.

"Yea...apparently people aren't in the mood for some Bollywood on Thursdays so I had to cancel it," the tanned girl replied. Noticing Dawn's look, she laughed and explained. "Yea, I'm Indian but my paternal grandfather is a white man. And yes, before you ask, I know how to film dance. That's the technical name we give to dancing to film songs. My major is actually hip hop but I know how to tone it down a bit," she clarified. Dawn nodded.

"Well this is all nice and all, but the bell is going to ring soon and I have to get to class early," May nodded. Misty smirked at her best friend.

"Well, well, little miss goodie-two-shoes why can't you be late to class?"

"Yea, you were already late to chemistry," Dawn piped but shut her mouth when the brunette glared. Drew got up with the guys to throw out their food. "Ok, ok, but rumor has it that a certain male Oak was trying to gain your attention during battle skills class," Dawn waggled her eyebrows, shifting her attention to Misty. "And don't even try to dodge, I've got my sources."

"Dawn, we've been over this..."

"Misty you don't understand! Gary _likes_ you and you at least deserve a chance to tackle those feelings and finally get rid of the giant elephant in the room. It's not fair to both of you to keep avoiding each other like this," Dawn nodded. Misty rolled her eyes, clearly done with the topic.

"So are you going to join Pokefest?" Misty asked. Dawn nodded thoughtfully.

"Yea, but I'm still unsure of what I want to do. I mean, I know I'm going into the style and fashion part of it but I really don't know what I'm going to expect," she mused. The boys were returning to the table and she didn't want to make a huge spectacle of herself or of any of her friends. "I'll be back guys. I'm just going to throw my trash out and then I have a few sketches I want to work on."

"Is Dawn ok?" Rocky asked as soon as the bluenette left their sights. Aisha rolled her eyes and smacked him across the shoulder. "Ow! _Bruja_; what was that for?" Rocky hissed as his counterpart just laughed and shook her head.

"For asking stupid question Santiago. No one has tact like you," she sniffed. The Hispanic boy glared as she finished off her lunch and then sweetly smiled at him before getting up to throw her food away. Blaze just watched the two interact with a hint of a smirk playing on her face.

"People are going to start thinking you're crazy if you keep smiling to yourself," a voice flippantly commented from behind her. Blaze's smirk faded and she resisted the groan that always escaped whenever he was nearby.

"Too late," she laughed behind closed lips. "But they're just so obvious that it's literally killing me not to play matchmaker." Rocky had gotten up to follow and/or annoy Aisha before he heard Blaze's last comment so she was in the safe. She watched as Rocky decided to sneak up on Sha and she jumped a few inches into the air before flailing at him, all with a smile on her face.

"Sometimes it's better to let nature take its course and let them get together on their own," Byron commented, seeing as how his fiery friend had fallen silent. "By the way, I'm very excited for tomorrow. I get to publically humiliate you." He ran his fingers through his short beach blonde hair.

"And sometimes people need to be pushed together." Blaze turned around, her hooded smoky auburn eyes meeting his ocean blue ones, a sassy smirk playing on her lips. She fingered the fringe that was almost covering her left eye and moved it to the side. "And by the way, I sincerely hope you don't think I'm going down without a fight." The redhead winked before turning back around. Needless to say, it honestly left Byron breathless.

* * *

"Dawn!" a soft voice called out to the bluenette. Dawn turned around to see Marina waving her arms in a fast motion, Marina's boyfriend Jimmy sitting close to her. Jimmy looked like a fairly sized man, not too skinny but not overly buff. He had his signature backwards blue cap and wore an orange vest over a white t-shirt and stonewashed jeans. As Dawn walked over to them, she noticed how close the two were and instantly became jealous of their relationship.

"Hey Marina, what's going on?" Dawn asked her fellow bluenette. Marina just smiled and just shifted her attention to Jimmy.

"I guess I've been nonstop rambling ever since I met you and Jimmy just wanted to meet who I was so taken by," she grinned. Dawn nodded her greeting to Jimmy; he seemed fairly nice and like an overall awesome guy.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Jimmy. But I'm assuming that's not the only reason you called me over?" Dawn impishly smiled.

"No...well, I'd like to make you co-head of the decoration committee board. I honestly think that you've got what it takes to help me make school events a blast," Marina laughed. Dawn sobered slightly, feeling her head spin. She had only been here a few days yet she was getting so much offered to her- it was simply mind-blowing.

"Well it would be my honor, but I best be getting to math class. Don't want my teachers to get mad or anything," Dawn nodded once more before running away.

Dawn walked in, thankful to see that Blaze and Misty were already there and had saved a seat for her. The bluenette shot them an award winning white toothed smile and slung her bag over her shoulder more securely. It was weird not seeing May in her class since she had gotten so used to the brunette being with her every step of the way, but she was sure that she could trust the two fiery redheads that were currently beckoning her over.

"Dawn, glad you could join us. Word around here says that you're on the committee board; that's literally going to spike your popularity ranks sky-high!" Blaze commented, amazingly blunt as usual. Dawn's eyes widened.

"It's going around already? It hasn't even been ten minutes!" she protested and Misty laughed while simultaneously pulling her new friend into the vacant seat.

"Word goes around here fast. Plus, Holly's been going on about how the new girl is getting all this special treatment so it wasn't so hard to put two and two together." Misty leaned back on her chair, aware that they people around them were giving all three of them scrutinizing stares, not even bothering to hide them.

"But no worries Sunshine; being friends with May helps. No one really goes after you when you have popular friends like the Oaks. Not to mention that a lot of these girls are in love with the guys we hang out with. Oddly enough, I think they're more scared of being called out by one the guys than me," Blaze pouted. Dawn perked an eyebrow. "Trust me Sunshine, there's a lot of things that go on around here that are sketchy. Every guy in our group has at least one fan group dedicated to them; creepy in my opinion but always fun to exploit."

"Yea, until one of them swoons over Byron; that's when shiz gets real," Misty giggled. Dawn couldn't help but feel a surge of over-protectiveness and another odd feeling wash over her body. "You ok Dawn? You look like you're about to murder someone." Dawn shook herself out of her funk; there was nothing to be worried or jealous about.

"Ah, it's just these technicalities. I honestly thought this stuff only went on in the movies or books, never in real life. Seems almost surreal," she admitted, only partially telling the truth. She didn't want anyone to worry about her and these odd feelings until she could figure out what they were first. Just then, the bell rang, putting to halt any conversations that could have occurred.

The teacher walked in and stood in front of the classroom. She was a cross-looking old woman with her salt and pepper hair tightly pinned back and a woman's pantsuit donning her body. She had owl-eyed glasses perched on her pointy nose and heels that could take out someone's eye. The class looked scared, nervous, and shocked all at once.

"Hello class, and welcome to sophomore math." The teacher began, talking in a somewhat nasally voice. "My name is Ms. Hughes and while I know that about ninety percent of you aren't going to use math in your careers, please just try your best and let's make this as painless as possible. So, to get started, I'm going to give you a pre-requisite quiz; no worries, it won't count towards your grade or anything," she added as the class groaned in unison. "Now, now, I don't want any complaints; you, sir, what's your name?" she snapped, looking at Calvin with wide bugged eyes.

"Calvin ma'am. Calvin Cross," he said, his jock-bravado fading leaving a nervous look in his eyes. Ms. Hughes glared at him.

"You're chomping your gum like a cow. Now spit that out and sit down like a proper student. In my day, none of this gum-chewing nonsense was an issue. But look; now we have people smacking their gum like uncivilized barbarians and your stupid electronics! Now why don't you all shut your mouths and take the quiz. If you're good, maybe I won't let it count for your grade Mr. Cross." With that, quizzes were handed out and mouths were shut. Dawn could tell that this would be a long class.

* * *

"Dear Mew, that woman scares the jeepers out of me!" Blaze exploded once they left the building. "I don't think I've ever seen a woman scarier than her, my Aunt Gemma included!" Misty snorted.

"Seriously? I don't think anyone is as scary as your aunt...but when you think about it..." Misty laughed. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Maybe she's just lonely. I mean, I'd be all crabby and irritated if I was her age and still lonely with no husband," she defended the teacher while still managing to insult her. Blaze slapped her forehead.

"Wow Sunshine. Only you would see it that way," the redhead laughed. "Oh look, there's May!" the fiery girl exclaimed, ecstatically waving over her brunette friend. A smile blossomed on the brunette's face.

"Hey guys! How was math?" she asked and wincing when she saw the annoyed looks on their faces. "Yikes, that bad? Well...at least Crawford won't be as bad, right Blaze?"

"Easy for you to say- she freaking loves you! She caught me attacking Byron and now she hates my guts!" Blaze protested, pouting slightly. The brunette resisted a smile.

"Oh stop it, I'm sure she'll have forgotten all about it. Meanwhile, Misty, I heard that this year's English teacher is a crazy nutcase. So I suggest you and Dawn meet up with Sha and hurry down. Rocky told me that the teacher was a pain in the ass!" May giggled, receiving strange looks. "What? It's not like it's weird for me to be weird. Now let's go Blaze, I don't want to be late!"

"Huh, teacher's pet," the redhead murmured as she followed her brunette friend.

* * *

It was after school and the girls were hanging out in May's basement at the Oak residence. The professor had come down and offered the girls multiple treats until May badgered her grandfather upstairs into his lab. The eeveelutions roamed free, each of them staying near their respective master. Books and papers were scattered everywhere and the girls were swamped to the point that they all changed into sweat pants and May had taken out her contacts in exchange for her glasses.

"Arceus, I'm going to hurt someone! Why do the teachers feel the need to assign two whole chapter to be done by Monday? It's not fair!" the brunette whined. Sha shot her a sympathetic smile.

"Let's just be happy that we're in this together. I don't think I could stand this class if I was the only Eeveeite in there. I feel like everyone would just expect greatness to pour from me," she sighed, slinging her raven hair onto her shoulder. She had changed into an off-the-shoulder t-shirt and sweat pants and taken all of her makeup off, knowing that she would be too tired to take it off later.

"Yea but Smiley over there decided to take the hardest classes out there. May can only blame herself for taking hard classes. Girl, we so warned you!" Blaze laughed. The fiery girl was wearing a spaghetti-strapped tank top and black sweatpants while May was wearing a rose red tank top along with black sweats. Dawn smiled slightly at their teasing. She had never thought it would be so easy to blend into a group of friends. Misty's laugh stood out the most.

"I'm with ya Blaze. Why be super smart when you can just enjoy high school? It's not like we'll have these years ever again, so we might as well make the most of it." Everyone gave glares to her. The redhead gave a sheepish smile. "Ok, and maybe it's because I'm only focused on one thing. But that's good. At least I'm not completely drowned in homework and other assignments. That would just be annoying." The redhead had changed her nice outfit into short shorts and a t-shirt with a baggy sweatshirt pulled over her.

"I'm surprised that I have homework in art- _ART_! In Twin Leaftown, we never had any homework in these kinds of classes. I mean, not that I'm complaining, but still, I never expected to get any sort of work from that class," Dawn laughed shaking her head. She herself had costume changed into a black off the shoulder top covering her spaghetti strap tank top and gray sweatpants.

"LaRousse High is the exception, I guess. This school is meant to enhance the skills that you exhibited when you enrolled. There's no doubt that this school is going to push you to your limits," Aisha softly interjected. Dawn pouted and threw a pillow at her. "Seriously? Gosh Dawn, so immature!" the tanned girl giggled and threw the pillow back at her, only missing the target and hitting May square in the face.

"Sha!" May growled as she looked up from her books and threw it randomly. The pillow hit an unsuspecting Misty who fell into Blaze. The girls glared and looked up at each other, grabbing the pillows and throwing them at each other. Everyone was so busy that they didn't hear the door open and close and several pairs of heavy footsteps thundering down the padded steps.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the smug voice of Gary Oak was heard over all the laughter that seemed to suddenly stop. May looked up, a gleam appearing on her glasses.

"Nothing," she smiled innocently and threw the pillow at the unsuspecting face of Drew, who just glared at her while she sweetly smiled back. "What are you guys doing here? I thought for sure you were going to hang out at Drew's house."

"Eh, you know how that goes. The moment Mom and Dad get into the same room, all hell breaks loose," the green haired boy sighed, running his fingers through his hair and settling himself on the arm of the couch right near May. The brunette looked up at him, worry evident in her eyes. "It's fine, nothing we haven't dealt with before."

"So what are you ladies doing? Obviously not working hard like you should be," Rocky wickedly smiled, earning a glare from Aisha. The Hispanic boy allowed his eyes to casually wander over her body. Each guy had settled somewhere near his respective girl.

"For your kind information, we were working until someone threw a pillow...and then we gave up on work. Since we all know we're never going to get anything accomplished, let's talk Halloween," May clapped her hands after she put her books back into her bag. Everyone gave her an exasperated stare. "Geez, don't look so excited. I was wondering if for Halloween we can have a kind of after party at Jynx? It would be totally awesome and only us girls would have to dress up!" May pleaded. Gary sighed while running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm down; at least I don't have to dress up," he grinned while Misty glared at him and threw her eraser at his head. "Ow! Arceus woman, calm down!" he snapped as Misty giggled. Rocky and Byron seemed to be in agreement.

"I'll agree to that. I know how you're looking forward to dressing up and we wouldn't want to dash the Princess's hopes and dreams," Rocky sarcastically drawled. May glared at him and Drew hit the Hispanic boy on the back of the head. "_Dios mio!_" Rocky moaned. "Seriously bro, was that necessary?" Drew rolled his eyes.

"I'm not the one with a death wish from the vicious brunette. But I'm all for this idea; plus, I think it would be fun. Not everyone likes school events but most people like hanging out at Jynx, so it should be no problem."

"Ahem! Aren't we all forgetting the people who are going to be dressed up? What if we don't want to do this?" Misty interjected but was met with May's pleading gaze.

"Mist, come on, it'll be fun! I promise, no funny business with the costume and Dawn can help design them, so everyone will like their costume!"

"Whoa, whoa, how did I get roped into this? How am I supposed to balance this and the dance committee at the same time?" Dawn whined. May whipped her head, the Oak fire burning in her eyes. "May, as much as I'd love to, I would have too much on my plate to handle."

"I'll help with the committee stuff." The gruff voice of Paul Shinji nearly shocked the room into silence as everyone turned to stare at the usually stoic onyx haired boy. "I will personally murder all of you if you keep staring at me. Arceus, I have nothing else better to do, and I kind of want to graduate from this school. So if you don't mind, go back to your disgustingly happy selves." And as much as Paul hated to do any extracurricular activities from school, the small smile from Dawn nearly made it worth it.


	7. Chapter 7

**It's officially spring break and I'm back with a chapter, which, by the way, is my longest chapter up to date I believe. This is a peace offering/ I'm sorry gift for all of you who have been patiently waiting. I'm in my junior year of high scholl which, as my fellow Americans know, is one of the hardest years of our education. Not only do we have to worry about grades, but we also have to worry about APs, SATs, and colleges. **

**Did I mention that I'm super sorry about the lack of updates? Because I really am. Not only have I been in a rut in terms of writing but the thing with me is that I believe in quality over quantity, in terms of update time. I don't like thinking in terms of once a week or something because first of all, I feel super pressured, and second of all, I can't ensure my best quality. Hopefully all of you enjoy this chapter which is more Blaze/Byron centric and has a bit more of May/Gary sibling action. By the way, if any of you are wondering about Rocky's nickname 'Santa' I got it from his last name which is Santiago. ****Next chapter will be filled Jynx madness and possible Dawn/Paul drama**

**Also, do you guys actually read my author's note? If you review, tell me if you do.**

**Now enough of my insistent rambling and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"This is officially the weirdest school ever!" Dawn groaned as she tried to memorize her Friday schedule. "Why can't this school have normal classes every single day?"

"Then it wouldn't be LaRousse High! This school literally breeds the greatest of the greats. There's a reason this school pushes its students so hard but lets us have fun at the same time. They figure that if we have enough fun, we can put a lot of our time into studying and becoming the world's greatest Pokemon related careers," May argued. Dawn sighed and shook her head once more at the absurdity of it all.

"I mean, it's not like I have two other schedules to memorize!" she pouted. Aisha laughed, slinging an arm around the bluenette's shoulder. "You're laughing? Seriously? Come on, take pity on the new kid!"

"Oh don't be such a drama queen Sunshine, you'll eventually get used to it. Trust us, we were just as shocked as you," Blaze grinned nudging the bluenette's shoulder, causing her and Sha to go flying forward. May rolled her eyes at their antics.

"Well, if there's one thing I'm looking forward to today, it's yours and Byron's battle during Mock Battles. Can't say I'm not happy that they decided to switch the traditional Paul and Gary route." The brunette shot them a stunning smile as she adjusted her cross body strap. "I'm just surprised this didn't come any sooner."

"Well, there's nothing to be excited about. I will win, as always, and everyone will know that fire is the most superior element of them all!"

"Excuse me? One, I'm pretty sure Byron has beaten you in almost every single battle, and two, I beg to differ- water is definitely most superior." The words had barely left the redhead's mouth when the deadliest of glares was given and Blaze stormed ahead of them. Misty sighed and shook her head at her own stupidity.

"That was a tad harsh, don't you think Mist?" May perked a brow. Misty glared. "Ok, ok, sorry. But you know how Blaze gets about fire...then again, we all know how you get about water... never mind, I'll stop talking now," The brunette flashed a quick smile before spinning around and walking backwards. "So we all agree about our Jynx outing tonight right? I want to give Dawn a taste of La Rousse high life!"

"You just want to dirty dance with Drew like that last time!" Aisha interjected with a coy smile; she got an icy sapphire stare in return. "Don't deny it; you _so_ liked it. And it was pretty obvious that Drew was enjoying himself too."

Blaze seemed to have cooled down a bit and she returned just in time to hear her best friend's comment. A sinister grin appeared on her face. "Let's not forget about those sexy moves Rocky was trying to impress you with," The redhead was grinning like a mad woman as she remembered how the young Hispanic boy had tried so hard to impress Aisha only to inadvertently score a dance with a bottle blonde, causing the tanned girl to become furious and ignore him for the rest of the night. Aisha was remembering it as well, for she winced and turned away to talk to Dawn.

"You sure you're cool with coming? We don't want to force you into something that you're not comfortable with."

"Yea, it's cool. I'm actually excited to go. Plus, I'll probably be able to meet a few cute guys!" the bluenette responded with a bright smile. May smirked, glad that the heat was off of her for now.

"Well, you'll get to see Paul. I mean, all of us go and we literally force the statue of a man to go to Jynx. You can put some sexy moves on him," May said with a straight face before bursting out laughing with the rest of the girls, Dawn included.

"Ah, I'd love to see Paul's face if Dawn ever seduced him. That would be _priceless_!" Blaze snorted. Dawn rolled her eyes, a light blush staining her cheeks. Blaze decided to spare her. "Don't worry Dawn, he usually stays in the corner and babysits his bottle of root beer. You don't even have to be near him if you don't want to...we know how he pisses you off." Dawn smiled softly, thankful for these people who she considered her friends.

"Who knows what will happen?" Dawn asked, emitting a sigh. "No need to worry, I'll be fine!" May sighed, slinging her arm around her friend's shoulder.

"Girl, that's when I worry the most," Glancing at her watch, the brunette's eyes widened. "We may not know what's going down tonight, but I do know what will happen if we're late again!" With that sentiment in mind, the five girls started to run.

* * *

"Looks like you finally made it," Byron smirked, noticing the out-of-breath Blaze who was heaving like she had just run a marathon. The redhead was so tired she couldn't even come up with a viable retort.

"I...you... ugh!" she panted heavily. The sandy haired boy just continued to cockily smirk.

"Finally made you speechless huh? I knew it would happen someday," he laughed and Blaze tried to lift her head up at him to glare but she ended up feeling like she was about to faint. Byron's laugh and smile faded as he caught hold of the stumbling girl. "Hey, hey, you ok?" he asked, his voice immediately concerned.

"Yea, just a bit dizzy," Blaze smiled lightly, unconsciously leaning on him for support. Byron looked up to see the others chatting with their boy counterparts and he tilted his head down to peer at the girl in his arms.

"B, did you eat anything?" Byron asked, his voice now taking on a chastising tone. Blaze looked up guiltily at him. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked lowly, not wanting to bring attention to them.

"Um...lunch time yesterday?" she meekly replied. Byron sighed, looking at her with _that_ stare. It always unnerved Blaze with the amount of concern it held for her; it made her feel breathless and she knew that it was always reserved for her. "By, my parents were fighting about Grams again. I couldn't just let it go! They want to stop funding for her medication and treatment!"

"Blaze, that's no reason to not eat. You know what hypoglycemia does to you. If you don't eat even for a meal, you start feeling dizzy, you know that!" he growled, not even mad at her, but mad at himself for not noticing the trouble she was having at home again.

"You know how mad they make me. It's like they don't even take me into consideration when it comes to Grams. She's the only family I really have." Byron sighed, detangling Blaze from him and then wrapping an arm around her waist and supporting her. "By, what are you doing?" Blaze demanded, trying to sound threatening but failing.

"We're ditching class to get you some food. You are not going to class until you make up for two missed meals." he said in a tone that clearly called for no more arguments. Blaze rolled her eyes while secretly smiling at the sweet gesture. Even though they fought a lot, at the end of the day, he was still her confidant and her best guy friend.

It was hard to believe that they had gotten close a year ago. No one really knew about how their relationship had shifted because they still fought so much on a daily basis. However, Byron helped her with taking care of Grams and she couldn't help but start to fall for him. The surfer boy may be egotistical and cocky at times, and never cease to annoy her, but that summer, she had seen another side to him that she had never seen since she had met him. There were only a handful of times she let her guard down, and that was when she was with her grandmother, the one person in her family who never judged her, and made her feel welcome in the Malcolm family.

A few years ago, when she was in 6th grade, Grams had become ill with some unknown disease. Her parents had spent a lot of money on the treatment but nothing had seemed to work until a year ago. But that's when things had become rough in the Malcolm household and with immediate family and marital problems, there was no way to fund Grams' treatment. Blaze had then taken on the duty of taking care of her grandmother and working hard to make money for the treatment. It had come to a point where she barely ate two meals a day. Byron had been the only one to notice how she was becoming dizzy and weak more and more each passing day and he had finally called it to her attention and forced her to go to a doctor where they had diagnosed her with hypoglycemia. When Byron had learned of this, he had taken on the role of kind of her caretaker and medical helper. They had bonded when he helped take care of Grams with her and that's when her feelings for him had begun to form.

"Hey, you sure you ok? I can take you to Nurse Clara if you want," his voice cut into her thoughts. Blaze furiously shook her head.

"No, then my dad will find out about it and I'll never hear the end of it. Just take me to the canteen and I'll just get something there. Are you trying to get me invalid for our match today?" she smirked weakly and Byron rolled his eyes though they still shone with concern.

"As if; I could totally beat you, even at full strength. No need to get you all weak." Byron shrugged casually, internally sighing with relief when he saw the blaze of fire in Blaze.

"Watch it Carter; I may be weak, but I can still kick your ass all the way to Johto."

* * *

"...And the best way to dodge an incoming attack is?" the teacher drawled on. May felt her eyes droop close and her head drop down but she immediately woke up to pick it back on. "Anyone? Does anyone know?" the teacher dragged on with her monotonous voice. Drew was sitting next to her, snoring slightly. May smiled softly, rolling her eyes. She love coordinating and it was her dream, but she had no idea how to survive this dreaded class. It was only twenty minutes into the class and they still had forty minutes to go. It seemed that the teacher finally had enough and decided to forgo lecturing. "Alright, who wants to watch a video on battling?" The whole class groaned as she ignored them and dimmed the lights. It was safe to say that the whole class practically fell asleep as she video started with another man monotonously drawling.

It was a blessing from Celebi when the bell finally rang and May was finally able to exit this god-forsaken place. As May was packing up her books and putting them in her bag, she noticed that some people were staying near the front door of the classroom; two people to be exact. The brunette's heart was hammering for she knew what was going to happen- she had heard Holly talking about it yesterday during lunch- and she sincerely hoped that her heart wasn't going to be broken today.

"So, Drew, doll, I couldn't help but overhear that your weekly Jynx hangout was happening today...and I was wondering if you had room for one more," the bottle blonde literally purred and May resisted the urge to gag.

The brunette purposely took her time in gathering her materials for the next class. Oak Battle Arena was not only used for Mock Battling class but also for the Coordination class, and they definitely couldn't start class without her. Drew seemed to scoff.

"Holly, honestly, if I really wanted you to go, don't you think I would have invited you already? It's been three years since we started going there and Arceus help me if you still think that I'm into you like that. Any good feelings I had about you disappeared in middle school." May could almost imagine Drew's chartreuse eyes rolling and him flicking his matching green hair.

"Doll, that was a long time ago, and I've changed, honest. Can't you give me a chance? I mean, if not with Jynx then with the Halloween party? I heard you were going to that too!" Couldn't blame a girl for trying, even if it was Holly. May just sighed and saw that she had no choice but to walk out the classroom right into the middle of their conversation. Well, she may as well just walk into the Groudon's lair.

"Hey guys, fancy seeing you here. Shouldn't you be heading down to Oak Battle Arena by now?" May piped in, her voice full of innocence. She couldn't help the delighted flutter her heart gave when she saw how Drew's eyes lit up. Holly seemed to think the opposite and frowned deeply, her eyes turning a steely silver.

"I could say the same to ya, sugah," she gritted out, slinging her immaculate strawberry blonde hair to one side. May shrugged and loosely gestured to her books.

"You know how long I take to get ready. But um, I've got to get to class. Should I tell Professor Lily that you guys were making out in the hallway?" a sly smile played on her lips, as Drew's cheeks seemed to turn a light dusty pink.

"Hey, April, Holly here was just asking about our little Jynx excursion tonight. Think we have room for one more?" he asked, his eyes pleading with hers. With an internal sigh May put on her best puppy pout and whimpered.

"Aw but Drew, you said it would you said it would just be us and the other Eeveeites tonight. Don't tell me you're going back on your promise," May whined as her bottom lip jutted out and her sapphire eyes sparkled oh-so-brightly. Drew's eyes flooded with relief and he quickly strutted forward to sling an arm around his childhood best girl friend.

"No need to worry sweetheart, I don't intend to disappoint," he said with a new glint in his eyes that made May just want to shrug him off, though a part of her- a really big part of her- didn't mind his flirtation. She just giggled and grabbed his hand to pull him forward.

"Well don't start now. Come on, we're going to be late to class. Though they definitely won't start without me," the younger Oak stated confidently. Drew could only smile at her, secretly glad for their chance at close contact.

"Wow Princess, cocky much?" Drew smirked while bumping her shoulder lightly. May just glared at him but Drew didn't care. He knew only a handful of people were allowed to call her Princess and he, having coined the term in the first place, was number one on the list. May gave his bicep a pinch and the grasshead yelped at the sharp pain while Holly stood, shocked into a statue-like state, glaring at their retreating backs.

* * *

"Geez Princess, you two are super late...anything going on that we should know about?" a snide voice commented and May could have sworn that she jumped out of her skin.

"Arceus Gary, you scared the crap out of me!" the younger Oak squealed as she unintentionally jumped closer to Drew. "And seriously, 'princess', again? What is up with everyone calling me that?" Sapphire met coal and the two Oak siblings had a slight stare down before Drew had to break them up.

"Seriously guys, we're doing this again?" Drew rolled his eyes and May pouted, flipping her brunette hair and taking a seat. The grasshead rolled his eyes again before exchanging an amused glance with his best friend. May rested her hand on her cheek and turned to her brother.

"What are you doing here Gary?" she drawled, her eyes still doe-eyed and her cheeks slightly puffed out- Drew had to admit, she looked pretty darn adorable. Gary smiled at his little sister and ruffled her hair a bit.

"Had a free period and decided to join you guys here. You're probably battling today aren't you sis?" May had the urge to sigh.

"Yea...I mean, it's not like I don't love coordinating...but it's the same routine every year, seriously. I wish they'd change it up...though I doubt Drew and I are going against each other again." Drew slumped into the seat on the right of her and Gary decided to take the seat to her left. Gary turned to his sister.

"So how's classes so far?" he asked, smirking because he knew that May absolutely hated having Holly in basically every single one of her classes. May groaned, burying her face in her hands. "That bad, kid? I thought you said that your goal was to not get annoyed with Holly?" he chuckled and May glared at him.

"Yea, well, it's really hard when she's in every single one of your classes..." May scoffed and picked her head up again, relaxing it against the seat. "I really truly and sincerely hope they don't pick Holly and I to go against each other. I don't think I could stand her prattling and moaning about losing for the next month." Drew smirked, inwardly proud of his brunette's confidence.

"Now you're really getting high and mighty Princess. Better hope your ego doesn't inflate anymore or it'll be too big to fit anywhere," the grasshead snorted in amusement and May leisurely turned her head towards him.

"There's no ego involved; I've beaten Holly so many times that at this point, it wouldn't surprise me if she lost again. And I seriously doubt that anyone could beat the size of your ego Drew-dear," May drawled and Gary snorted. "Let's not forget about your ego Gare-bear. The two of you could take up the entire Hoenn region with those egos of yours," she giggled as a huge smirk made its way onto her face.

"Class, can I have your attention?" Lily's voice reverberated throughout the entire arena. "I'd like to call to the stand May Maple" 'Psh, figures' May muttered "and a new student, Ms. Naomi Watters," the MC called. May exchanged glances with the boys beside her, none of them recognizing this Naomi person. May felt like a spotlight was glaring down on her because everyone was staring at her, watching as she slowly descended down the stairs and onto the arena floor. The brunette Princess and the brunette MC smiled at each other and May took her place on one end of the stage. A petite girl with auburn colored hair stepped onto the stage as well, everything but her eyes exuding an air of confidence.

"Hey, I'm May," May smiled brightly at the girl, meeting her at the center. Naomi just looked at her and glared at her. The brunette slightly faltered at the amount of malice in her eyes but recovered and coolly looked at the auburn haired girl and muttered a 'good luck' before walking back to her place at the end of the stage.

Drew and Gary watched the whole confrontation, slightly worried about this new girl; no one had ever seen her before so they didn't know who she was or where she would come from. Not surprisingly, both guys were pretty protective of the brunette and didn't like it when they didn't know how to gauge another person.

"Alright ladies, chose your pokemon," Lily called out. May thoughtfully glanced at her wrist and if people didn't know better, they'd think she was crazy. Naomi had this exact look as she picked her pokeball and called out her Drapion. The scorpion pokemon called out its name and looked at May menacingly. The female Oak nodded thoughtfully then picked up a charm on her bracelet. With her signature twirl and cry of 'take the stage' Blastoise came out in all his glory, roaring at the crowd and making them jump. The two boys just smirked at each other and waited for destruction and chaos to ensure. "Oh wow...looks like we're bringing out the big guns," Lily smiled excitedly and raised her arm into the air. "5 minutes on the clock...and begin!"

"You can have the first move Naomi," May smiled sweetly, her fake sugary side coming out and a plastic smile gracing her face. Naomi just sneered.

"Alright. Drapion, use sludge bomb," Naomi commanded and May saw the big ball of poisonous sludge, knowing she had only a few seconds to react.

"Blastoise retreat into your shell!" May shouted, thanking Celebi that her turtle pokemon had fast reflexes. "Now use surf and propel yourself into the air!" Blastoise quickly spun around as water poured out of his shell and he was propelled into the air just as the sludge bomb hit the floor and quickly dissolved. Naomi's points went down a bit.

"Drapion use venoshock!" Drapion attempted to coat Blastoise in a gooey purple liquid but failed when Blastoise was still spinning in a circle and using the water to create a shield causing Naomi's points to further dwell. May smiled, knowing things were going well according to her plan. After a grueling summer with Drew, Gary, and a couple of other of her friends, she was well prepared for situations like these.

"Blastoise rapidly spin pinball style into skull bash!" May cried. The giant blue turtle hurtled himself and began to bounce off the floor and walls just like a pinball. Drapion looked utterly confused as it tried to follow where Blastoise was going but before it knew it, Blastoise was in front of its face and grabbed its head and bashed it with his. With a roar of pain, the huge scorpion pokemon reared back as Blastoise flipped back into a safe enough range.

May smiled as she pulled out the big guns- literally. "Blastoise, use hydro pump!" she cried and everyone knew it was over the moment Blastoise's guns were locked and loaded. Drapion was too disoriented to properly dodge the powerful streams of water that had been shot out of Blastoise's cannons and was pummeled to the ground, eliciting 'oohs' and 'ahs' from all the students. Naomi's points went all the way down to zero and the clock stopped with two minutes and fifty seconds left. The class was left shocked; this was a new record.

"And it looks like May and Blastoise are the winners!" May ran to the center and hugged Blastoise, kissing its head and then returning him to his pokeball. She gave the class a smile and bounded up the stairs, a tad bit uncomfortable with the stares she was getting.

"Well, well Princess. Looks like we actually taught you something this summer," Drew smirked and May was about to hit him until she noticed the proud look in his eyes. Even though he hadn't outwardly admitted that she was strong, it still felt really good knowing that he believed that she was worthy enough in his eyes. A light blush stained her cheeks as she sat down and nudged his shoulder, giving Gary a gorgeous smile.

Her older brother shook his head and glanced at her, letting her know that he, too, was proud. "Well May, I can't help but admit that I'm impressed. You took her down in record time," he grinned at his little sister. May laughed a little.

"All my thanks goes to you guys; if it weren't for you two and your grilling pokemon battles, I wouldn't be half as good as you all think I am." Drew looked over to her with semi-wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe that she didn't think she was good. It was funny; on the outside, May exuded an air of confidence and positivity. But really she was extremely self-conscious and was always surprised when people called her good or strong.

"May, I don't think you seriously know how strong you are. You did a good job, really." This time, a full-on blush stained her cheeks and she looked straightforward but let a hundred-megawatt smile show. Gary just managed to swallow in his chuckle causing it to sound like a snort but yelped as May pinched his leg.

* * *

After class, May took her time to gather her things because she had an hour lunch. Drew and Gary had hung back to walk with her to lunch and she was about to go to them when she noticed a head of hair walking on the strip of the bleachers leading to the door.

"Hey, Naomi, wait up!" May cried as she ran over to the girl. Said girl turned her hand and gave May the haughtiest look with one hand on her hip. May faltered once more as she saw the unnecessary hate in her eyes. Naomi just scoffed.

"What do you want?" she drawled sarcastically. May suddenly had a flashback to middle school where she was bullied by the same type of people. Her sapphire eyes suddenly turned a crystalline blue and her hands were on her hips.

"I was just going to say good job out there, but on second thought, I don't think you deserve it." May sneered her comment and Naomi cocked an eyebrow, an infuriating amused smile playing on her lips.

"Look, I get that you think that you're all that and that you're the princess of this place but you're not- so get over yourself. Stop placing yourself on a high pedestal and just realize that you're not as good as everyone makes you out to be," Naomi spat, making May's eyes widen. Fortunately or unfortunately, May would have to decide later, Gary and Drew heard this comment and came stomping over to the two girls.

"Problem May?" Drew asked, his taller form immediately hovering protectively over her petite form. May turned to him with a tight smile on her face.

"Nope, no problem at all," her smile sweet and fake. Gary raised a brow but said nothing, his steely glare saying everything he needed to get the point across. A sudden high-pitched voice had Drew cringing and May and Gary rolling their eyes.

"Mimi what's taking so long?" Holly's sugary southern drawl had the three of them on guard and Naomi slightly flinching at the nickname. "Oh...it's you. What are you doing here, trying to corrupt my friend's mind with your money?" she asked and May bristled, only held back by Drew's arm snaking across her shoulder.

"Oh definitely, because that's exactly what I do; I use my power as an Oak and I bribe people to be my friends. Because that's definitely why people want to be my friend," May sneered and Holly rolled her eyes, looking seemingly bored as she buffed her nails.

"May?" May turned to see Misty at the door of the arena, joined by all of her other Eeveeites. "We were looking for you but you never came...guess we found out why," the redhead smiled.

"You can't even fight your own battles can you May? Seriously, what a princess," Holly scoffed before she and Naomi sauntered out of the arena. May was left with a weird look on her face; normally, even though she hated the nickname 'princess' she could deal with it because she knew they always said it endearingly. But the way Holly said it...well, let's just say that it didn't make her feel any happy thoughts. The girls looked worriedly at their friend.

"May, you ok?" Aisha asked softly. She noticed Drew and Gary exchanging worried glances and Rocky and Byron slowly ushering the guys out, knowing that the girls needed time. May shrugged her shoulders as Dawn came forward.

"Don't even worry about them May. They're not even worth your thoughts- you're ten times better than them." Dawn engulfed May in a huge hug as the other girls nodded in agreement.

* * *

Blaze smiled as she walked into Mock Battles- this was honestly one of her favorite classes and this time, she was actually going to have to participate. After merciless teasing from her friends and minimal teasing from the guys, she was finally feeling slightly confident enough to be able to battle. Blaze was no fool- Byron was one of the best battlers out there and if Gary was still really into battling, she knew Byron would be right under him and Paul. Now Blaze wasn't horrible by any means, but she certainly wasn't good and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of everyone. The Eeveeite girls were walking into the Oak Battling Arena just as the boys were walking in from the other side. A nudge from Aisha sent her gaze flying from the sandy haired man she was about to engage in battle to the black haired girl herself.

"This is seriously exciting Blaze...you ready for this?" Aisha squealed and Blaze flipped her fringe, unable to meet the eyes of her best friend.

"Sha, you know it's a lost battle. It's fire against water!" Blaze muttered and Aisha stared at her best friend in undisguised shock. Blaze caught her eye. "I mean, it's not like I'm _not_ going to put up a fight, but I know it's a lost battle. You and I both know just how good Byron is."

"Blaze, you're amazing...let's not forget who's in the top five battlers in this school," Aisha smiled softly. Blaze tentatively returned it while taking a seat. May and Dawn gave Blaze supporting smiles while Misty squeezed her fellow redhead's hand- an apology at her outburst earlier. Blaze felt her heart swell, knowing that without these girls, she'd still be the quiet and lonely girl she was years ago.

"You're going to be awesome out there girl, don't sweat it. You got the faith of the Eeveeites." Misty smiled as Blaze nervously smiled back.

"I sure hope so Mist. I'm not as good as everyone makes me out to be; I don't even know why my dad chose me to battle against Byron of all people. Everyone knows that fire and water don't mix!" Misty gave an indiscernible smile at her fellow redhead. Blaze was one of the most confusing people out there- one moment, she was top of the world bragging about how awesome she was, and the next, she was an insecure, unconfident girl who just didn't know how amazing she really was.

"Girl, just kick his ass and show him who's boss."

* * *

"Dude, she looks nervous," Rocky muttered to Byron. Byron looked up, surprised, and observed Blaze. He tried to ignore the little flips his heart was doing as he watched her flick her fringe, a nervous habit she had picked up after cutting her hair. The sandy haired boy furrowed his brows. "Maybe your little redhead isn't as confident as we thought." Rocky gave a lazy smirk as Byron cuffed him on the back of his head. "Ow! _Mami_, what is with you guys and hitting me?"

"Don't be a tool," he glared and rolled his eyes at Rocky's knowing grin. "What's with the look Santa? What could possibly be so amusing at this very moment?" Byron ran his hand through his mini spikes in frustration as he saw how Rocky was making weird faces. "Dude, so not into her like that."

"Could have fooled me By," Rocky nodded in a sage-like manner as the other guys just rolled their eyes at the two boys' banter. An elbow into Rocky's stomach had the Hispanic boy yelping and catching the girls' attention. May and Misty had identical perked brow, courtesy of spending so many years together, while Dawn and Blaze burst into loud and unconcealed peals of laughter. Aisha just rolled her eyes at their behavior but caught Rocky's eyes and stuck her tongue out. Byron snorted- of course Rocky would be the one to penetrate the black haired girl's proper behavior.

"You really have to stop doing that Rock. You're going to break Sha soon- people are going to start thinking that you're into her." Byron laughed as the boys took their seat. People were still filing into the arena so they had some time to waste. Rocky sighed and moaned dramatically.

"She'll never understand me like you do Byron!" he gasped, holding his hand to his forehead. "But seriously dude, I think you have this in the bag." Byron just shook his head at his best friend. Rocky could be the most distracted persons ever when it came to topic hopping.

"Of course I've got this in the bag, and no, not for the reason you're thinking. Water has an obvious advantage to fire so statistically, there's a slim to none chance that B-Blaze is going to win." Byron had to stop himself from automatically calling her B. It was weird because the two of them had gotten so much closer and she had slowly turned into his best girl friend. Rocky shot him a weird look but didn't make any mention of his weird stutter.

* * *

"Alright guys, I'm sure a lot of you have heard about this battle but let's get ready to watch Blaze Malcolm and Byron Carter duke it out on the battlefield!" Professor Lily announced. Along with being the MC for the coordinating classes, she was also a referee for battles. Blaze and Byron stood up and made their way down to the battle stage. As customary pre-battle manners, they both met at the center where Lily was standing. "Alright you two shake hands then walk back."

"Good luck By," Blaze smiled softly and held out her hand. Byron seemed to contemplate something before a huge smirk made its way onto his face.

"I don't need no luck B," he smirked and shook her hand. Blaze frowned then dug her sharp nails into his skin, smirking as he yelped. "Ow, mother-"

"You better not complete that thought Carter. Now let go of my hand and let's just get on with this battle," Blaze gritted out, a sweet smile on her face. Byron gave the best smile he could, retreating his throbbing hand that had nail groove marks. Blaze flicked her fringe and sauntered back to her end of the field, not noticing half the guys in the front row staring at her. She turned back around, her eyes half mocking half nervous and placed her hands on her hips. Byron was standing at the other end, his eyes half closed and a lazy smile easing its way onto his face. His arms were crossed as if there wasn't a care in the world.

"Alright you two; I want a fair fight...no dirty tricks," Lily said into her microphone. "Competitors, choose your pokemon!"

"Alright Samurott, you got this buddy!" Byron called out his faithful partner and the huge pokemon came out. Blaze nodded approvingly at the pokemon and glanced down at the ball in her hand.

"Right then, let's kick it old school style. Arcanine come on out!" Blaze called, tossing the ball in the air and the red light flashed, revealing the firedog. He growled menacingly but almost whimpered the moment he caught Byron's eye. Byron nodded unnoticeably at Blaze's pokemon and gave her a smirk.

Lily smiled at the two pokemon. "Would you look at that class? These are two perfect examples of extremely well trained pokemon." Arcanine and Samurott just looked at each other, Arcanine growling in a way that was not unlike his partner. "Just one look at them and you can tell that they're prepped and ready for battle. Alright Ms. Malcolm and Mr. Carter; whenever you two are ready, you may begin."

"You can have the first move if you want," he grinned cockily and Blaze sighed at the emergence of his ego. Blaze and Arcanine exchanged looks- Arcanine knew that the fire in his partner's eyes matched his own. It didn't matter if they were at a major disadvantage; they were going down with a fight.

"Alright Arcanine, let's start with the flamethrower vortex," Blaze called out. Everyone stared at the fire girl in confusion until they saw what Arcanine was doing- he was literally letting out a flamethrower and running around in circles, causing the fire to spin around it in a sort of shield. The loud roars of fire masked what Blaze said to her pokemon.

"Samurott let's hydro pump that vortex into smoke!" Byron called. No one expected the sheer speed that Samurott exhibited as a high velocity stream of water was aimed directly at the pokemon. Blaze braced herself for the intense amount of smoke.

"Let's do it Arcanine. Use hyper beam!" Blaze cried as the smoke masked Arcanine and caused Samurott to unsuccessfully locate the firedog pokemon. All of a sudden, an orange-yellow beam appeared and hit Samurott dead on. The water pokemon cried as it stumbled back and completely took the hit. But just as Blaze thought she was in the clear, Samurott let out a mighty surf and Arcanine was helplessly subjected to the large amounts of water.

"Nice going Samurott, now let's use ice beam and call it a day!" Byron called, more than slightly impressed with the stunt Blaze had just pulled. Everyone gasped as Arcanine had shaken most of the water off, only to be encased in a block of ice. Blaze closed her eyes, knowing that Arcanine was getting damaged the longer he was in the ice. Byron smirked at the redhead. "Nice try Blaze, better luck next time." Blaze glared at him.

"Arcanine, I know you can hear me. If you're still up for a fight I want you to use fire blast. I know that we haven't perfected the move yet, but I need you to use it." Blaze willed that her pokemon could hear her. Byron was smirking victoriously and the girls were on the stands cheering their butts off for her and Arcanine. Just as Lily was about to call the battle, time seemed to slow down. It started with a spark and slowly morphed from a tiny flame to a sphere of heat that seemed to touch everyone. With a roar, Arcanine was able to free himself from the ice and managed to burn Samurott in the process.

"Holy Articuno!" Byron yelled, unable to take his eyes off of the undeniably powerful pokemon. Samurott cried and bent down on one knee as the fire touched its skin. "Oh shoot, Samurott!" Byron cried as he noticed how tired his pokemon was getting. Suddenly, he noticed that the fire wasn't stopping and that Blaze was crying for Arcanine to stop.

"Arcanine, Arcanine, it's fine. Please stop!" she yelled. The firedog finally seemed to register that it was ok to stop and the fire slowly dissipated. The whole arena was silent as Arcanine blinked slowly then with a whimper collapsed on the floor. Not soon after, Samurott was returned to its ball, having been weakened by the hyper beam and the burns from the fire blast.

It was only after Blaze had run over to Arcanine, checked him to make sure there was no extensive damage, and return him to his ball, that she was able to register the roar of the students in the bleachers and look up to see Byron smiling broadly at her. She tried to ignore that tiny flutter in her heart.

* * *

"Yes, it's finally Friday! Thank Entei!" the brunette cheered. "Jynx and a night of partying, here we come!" May skipped ahead and then turned around and started walking backwards. Blaze was about to say something when May crashed into something- rather, _someone_.

"Ah!" she squealed as she stumbled. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist to catch her fall. "Gary!" May laughed. Her brunette brother rolled his eyes and looked annoyed. "What's wrong?" she asked cautiously. The to-be-professor sighed loudly.

"Laura and Dad are coming back tomorrow and staying for the weekend," he groaned. May stiffened, her expression going blank. The guys had just come up behind Gary, since it was traditional for all of them to meet up together. Drew was the first one to notice his best girl friend's face.

"What's going on?" the green head asked, instantly suspicious of everyone. It was easy to see the protectiveness in his emerald eyes. Rocky turned to May and finally noticed her face.

"Uh oh... looks like Smiley isn't so smiley anymore..." he gulped. Aisha looked outraged and slapped the back of his head. Rocky turned to her, his face contorted in pain. "And what was _that_ for?" he cried. The black haired girl looked indignant.

"Can you be anymore inconsiderate? For the love of Mew!" she muttered, walking up to the brunette and hugging her. "Aw babe, it'll be alright," she whispered. Misty and Blaze looked worried and Dawn just looked confused. Paul just stayed silent though his lips turned down into an even deeper frown than before. Byron looked at Blaze, his gaze concerned.

"I take it that something bad happened?" Byron asked, silently hoping for one of her famous retorts. The fiery girl just stayed quiet though and looked at him with scared and worried eyes.

"I don't think it's even worth it today," she whispered. May had snapped out of her daze and visibly swallowed before plastering a smile on her face. "May..." she asked uncertainly.

"I'm fine, everything's fine," she said in a high-pitched voice, causing Drew's eyes to narrow. He wasn't the only one who noticed that she had leaned into Gary's touch. "Let's just go guys," she said. Dawn looked at the people around her as May walked away with Gary whispering something to May and Drew walking next to them with his hands in his pockets.

"Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" she asked. Misty turned to Dawn and gave her a weak smile. "Ok, what's so bad about Laura?" she asked. Byron and Rocky simultaneously got looks of enlightenment and Paul just slapped his forehead.

"Really Troublesome? Of all the stupid things you could ask! I'm pretty sure the point of May not telling anyone was because she didn't want us to know!" he growled. Dawn glared at him.

"I'm sorry I'm so curious! Besides, it's not like it's going to take Drew long to figure out what's wrong with her and then for him to tell everyone else!" she snapped. Misty put a hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"Relax sunshine, we'll tell you everything later. Just know that this weekend will be pretty tense," she warned in an ominous tone. Rocky was looking at Aisha while the rest looked on with amused expressions.

"Aw come on 'Sha!" he cried, looking at her. Aisha looked furious and was shaking her head while ignoring him. "I said I was sorry! How was I supposed to know?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Whaaaat? I'm actually updating a week later? It's a miracle! No, actually, I got super inspired to write this past spring break and I really wanted to get the characters singing and dancing and just letting loose. Now, ignore the subtle innuendos and sexy stuff that might appear, but I really wanted this chapter to show the wild side of the girls. Some of the outfits were inspired by some pictures I found on google images but everything else is mine. I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than usual, I just really wanted to get a chapter out. **

**Now enough of my insistent rambling, and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Does this dress make me look fat?" Blaze called out from May's insanely huge closet. She came out wearing a dress that was flowy in all the wrong places. One look in the mirror had Blaze going "Never mind," and running back into the room.

"I'm thinking...skin tight skinny jeans?" May asked as she came out with a gorgeous pair of jeans that hugged her in all the right places and her bra. The girls gave her a look. "What? I haven't found a shirt yet," she muttered and Misty smirked.

"I'm pretty sure Drew and the rest of the male population wouldn't mind if you went out like that," the redhead winked. May flushed bright red and hightailed it back into her closet in search of a shirt. Misty came out in an aqua tank top tucked into maroon high waist shorts with a black belt cinching her waist. She wore a black fedora and a long silver chain along with high top converse. She slipped on a ring and her pokewatch and looked at herself in the mirror. "Damn I look good," she grinned and proceeded to head on over to the vanity where Aisha was doing her makeup.

Aisha was wearing a white tank top with denim suspenders that crisscrossed in a 'v' shape in the back and were attached to high waist jean shorts. Her wedges elevated her and gave her a couple of inches. Normally, people would look absolutely ridiculous in the type of outfit the half Indian was wearing, but leave it to graceful dancer to be able to pull something like that off. She was sporting bright red lips that made her tanned skin glow. Her black hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, effectively showing off her silver hoops.

"Ah, rocker edge it is!" Blaze cried as she came out in all black. She wore a shiny black top with two straps that merged into one strap in the back and was flowy on the bottom. Her bottom half was covered by black baggy pants and her black combat boots. She wore no other accessories except for her black fingerless gloves. The whole black scheme seemed to make her fiery red hair stand out more and gave her a rocker chick look.

"God you're so lucky you found something," Dawn whined. She was currently surveying the choices she had in front of her but with not luck of actually coming up with an outfit. May came out with the same pants but she now had a red and black corset top and black knee high kitten heeled boots. Her standard bracelet was on and she had curled her hair to perfection, courtesy of Dawn.

"Dawn, calm down and just pick something. You're going to look fabulous in it either way and it's not like you're impressing anyone," the brunette winked and Dawn flushed. "Here, what about this?" May held up a bright pink tank top that highlighted all of Dawn's curves along with a pair of black leggings.

"Oh my Arceus, May you are a genius!" Dawn squealed as she grabbed the two articles of clothing and quickly did her hair and makeup. She came out with the outfit May picked and black pumps. She had silver mini hoops and her navy blue hair was down and brushed to shiny silky perfection.

"Alright ladies, are we ready?" May asked and the girls nodded as they walked out the room and grabbed their jackets. They had finished getting ready just as the boys arrived, donned in almost every day clothes. While most eyes were roaming, Gary rolled his eyes at his sister.

"What is honestly the point of dressing up?" he asked and was met with five pairs of incredulous eyes. May walked down the stairs, her trench coat already tied and buttoned up so no one could see the outfit.

"_Gary_," May drawled, "you never know who's going to be there. We always dress to impress," May flipped her hair and smiled brightly as Gary rolled his eyes. May leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Besides, don't even bother lying and telling me you don't appreciate it. I've seen you stare at my friends." Gary coughed and his sister giggled and pulled away and bounced over to Drew. The green haired boy shook his head.

"You know, for someone who doesn't even have the balance of a three year old, you're certainly a miracle on heels," he smirked. May pouted her baby pink lips and linked her arm into the crook of his elbow. Drew used his free hand to pat her head but she ducked and swatted his hands away.

"Looks like it's going to be another night of singing, isn't it ladies?" Byron asked after he cleared his throat after looking at Blaze and her leather pants. Aisha giggled as she noticed the sandy haired guy's eyes.

"Oi Casanova, eyes up here," Blaze smirked and crossed her arms. Rocky was looking at Aisha with a perked brow. The tanned girl looked at him, as if almost challenging him to piss her off.

"Rocky, don't you dare make any"

"Wow Sha, the 80s called and they want their suspenders back," the Hispanic boy snorted and she rolled her eyes, gracefully lifting her leg off the ground and showing off the wedge.

"Rock, it's never a good idea to piss off a dancer with high heels or wedges," Aisha warned in a singsong voice a smirk pasted on her face. Rocky held his hands up in surrender.

"Can you hurry up? I can't believe I let you guys drag me down here again," Paul huffed in a gruff voice. Dawn rolled her eyes at his emotionless behavior and descended down the stairs, slowly pushing everyone towards the door.

"For once, agreed. My legs can't stay stationary for long," she smiled brightly. Paul gave her a look that screamed 'you're so stupid'.

"No one forced you to wear those heels Troublesome," he commented in a snarky tone. Dawn's eyebrows rose as they finally made it out of the door and into the car that was out front and waiting for them. Dawn and Paul were the last two people out of the Oak mansion.

"And no one forced you to come here, yet you still did." Dawn smiled sarcastically and sauntered down the steps. Paul glared at her retreating figure and she could vaguely hear him mutter something along the lines of 'Troublesome'.

* * *

The club may have looked like a shabby shack on the outside but when Dawn walked in, she was bombarded with bright lights and blasting music with heavy bass. There were teenagers everywhere nursing drinks near the bars and even more teens in the middle of the club that housed the dance floor. There were two stories; the main one, which they were standing on currently, had all the club necessities while the second floor was a more private lounge. However, the main floor included a section specifically sectioned off for the whole group so the girls decided to hang out there for the night. The girls made their way through the crowd, pausing to say hello to some people while Dawn awkwardly hung back, not at all comfortable with greeting so many people at once.

"Holy crap, this is amazing!" Dawn yelled over the loud music. May just grinned and finally reached the sectioned off area that was much quieter and didn't require yelling. "Dude, you designed this yourself?" Dawn asked, awe inspired. May laughed as she took a seat on the plush seat benches with May, Dawn, Misty, Rocky, and Byron on one side and Blaze, Aisha, Drew, Gary, and Paul on the other side. Food and drinks were quickly ordered and Byron eventually got up to start his DJ duties. Dawn looked around awkwardly.

"So Sunshine, you ready to have your first real taste of the awesomeness that is Jynx?" Blaze piped up, seemingly random, until Dawn noticed May discussing something with the Misty and Aisha was listening in. The navy haired girl perked a brow, confused as to what was going on. Blaze smirked at her innocence and confusion. "You didn't think we would literally just sit around here the whole night did you?"

"Um...kind of? What are you planning to do again?" Dawn asked and Aisha gave a supportive grin as May squealed.

"Alright...I think I have my song!" she announced and the girls murmured their approval as she whispered it to them. Drew rolled his eyes at her behavior while Gary just had an amused smile. Rocky couldn't keep still while Paul just sulked in the very corner of the booth.

"Um, I'm sorry, song?" Dawn squeaked as May made motions for everyone to get up. "What are we choosing songs for?" Aisha shot the navy haired girl a sympathetic smile.

"We treat our club excursions as a chance for some karaoke...only we get a lot more guys staring at us," Aisha explained and Dawn let out a shaky breath. Aisha giggled softly. "Dawn...trust me, you have an amazing voice."

"You haven't even heard me sing," she muttered. Aisha crossed her arms with a stubborn look.

"You're an Eeveeite, of course you're amazing. It doesn't matter what we're doing, we're always amazing."

"Except when it comes to sports," Gary chimed in causing Misty to frown. "Like seriously, none of you can do any kind of sport whatsoever."

"Excuse me, I'm pretty sure swimming counts as a sport, and I'm pretty sure I can kick your ass at it. Is someone forgetting how I'm number one?" she sneered. Gary snorted.

"Red, you're probably the only one who can possibly say that they play a sport. Now the others on the other hand..." The whole group was laughing, seeing as how the conversation had gotten out of hand so quickly.

"Dance is a sport and I am _not_ afraid to get into a debate with you Oak. Seriously, you wanna try me?" Aisha glared at the male Oak and she had even gotten up as to prove her point. Gary swallowed, recognizing the outraged look on her face. Rocky was next to him nudging his shoulder.

"_Amigo_, I wouldn't even go there. Once Sha starts, she ain't never stopping her rant. Trust me, learned it the hard way." The black haired boy nodded while flicking his floppy hair to the side. Aisha rolled her eyes and Drew decided to spare his best friend from the whole he was undeniably digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.

"And let's not forget about cooking. Certain people seem to forget the disaster that was in freshman year." The green haired boy had a huge grin on his face as May, Misty, Aisha, and Blaze all flushed different shades of red. Gary just burst into guffaws of laughter.

"Ok, that's a whole different story. We got distracted! I mean, Silver for Entei sake, that man is like...a sex god!" May squealed. "Especially on the front cover of _Battle Weekly_. Mm, that shot of him on a Bichi beach!"

"Oh, I saw that one! All I can say is, damn!" Dawn unsuccessfully whispered and the guys suddenly got uncomfortable. May finally had enough.

"Geez, you guys are distracting me! I had a song and I'm going to sing it dammit, if it's the last thing I do!" Gary was about to say something when May silenced him. "I know I have my coat on...ever heard of 'a big reveal'?"

* * *

"Ay Smiles, what can I do for you?" Byron grinned knowingly as May pushed her way through the crowd. "Got a song picked?" he asked and May nodded, leaning over to whisper the song choice in the ear that wasn't covered by his headphones. "Very nice choice Princess; you out fishing tonight?" The beach boy grinned as May rolled her eyes and gently nudged his shoulder. "Alright everyone, can I have your attention? Our very own Princess, May Maple has decided to grace us with her presence tonight. Take it away Maple."

The synth and the electronic beat started and people looked up, surprised at the change of music. But no one was complaining once they saw the spunky brunette up on stage slowly taking her jacket off and moving her hips to the beat, thrashing her hair from side to side.

"Geez, what the hell is she wearing?" Gary mumbled and Drew almost didn't reply, entranced by the brunette. "Oh my Arceus dude, that's my _sister_." Gary hissed, making the other girls giggle as Drew almost hushed him.

"Do you see any other guy in this room complaining right now apart from you?" he asked and Gary looked around, slightly appalled to see Rocky and even Paul looking at his sister. "Case closed. Now shut up." They could distinctly hear Gary muttering 'but a corset? A freaking corset?'

May took the microphone from Byron and started singing. "_Baby can't you see, I'm callin'... A guy like you, should have a warning... You're dangerous... I'm fallin'..._" May tilted her head back and pretended to swoon before she slowly made her way down the stairs that separated the DJ station to the dance floor as the main beat played again. People had already cleared the middle of the floor, giving her the perfect amount of space for dancing. "_There's no escape, I can't wait... I need a hit, baby give me it... You're dangerous, I'm lovin' it..._"

Dawn looked at her friend with wide eyes. She knew she would never have the guts to do something like that and by the hearty reception she was getting with her added moves, May was a huge hit. She swallowed as May started body rolling, looking like she was having the time of her life.

"_Too high, can't come down. Loosin' my head, spinnin' round and round... Do you feel me now?_" May hit the notes perfectly and added the right amount of sultry into the song. The beat played again and May had crooked her finger in a general direction and the guys wolf whistled and whooping as May did another body roll. "_With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride... You're toxic, I'm slippin' under. With a taste of a poison paradise, I'm addicted to you don't you know that you're toxic?_" May whipped her head from side to side as sang and made her way to different tables of teens that contained both boys and girls who were entranced by her. Just when people thought May was some innocent bimbo, she came out with something like this, shocking everyone. "_And I love what you do, don't you know that you're toxic?_"

As the music played, May made her way to her own table, almost laughing in the middle of the song as she caught Gary's stare. She knew that he was protective of her but usually let her do her own thing. All her friends stared at her as the other people started to dance, sort of, to the beat of the song. May took a seat on her table, thankful that none of the food had arrived yet. She caught a pair of green eyes and winked, causing them to blink in surprise.

"_It's getting late, to give you up. I took a sip, from the Devil's cup. Slowly, it's taking over me..._" May literally lay down on the table and dance as the girls laughed and encouraged their gutsy friend. With no warning, she jumped down and started strutting to the middle of the dance floor, fully aware of the bunches of stares she was getting from behind her.

"_Too high, can't come down. It's in the air, it's all around... Can you feel me now?_" The beat played again as May had timed it perfectly when she reached the dance floor and began to dance in a sensual manner. A boy came up to her and she danced near him but not enough to actually win her attention because she moved on to different people, even dancing with some girls.

"_With the taste of your lips, I'm on a ride. You're toxic, I'm slippin' under. With a taste of a poison paradise... I'm addicted to you, don't you know that I'm toxic?"_ There was a whole solo of the electric beat, with a twist of Indian sounding tunes, and May began busing out the moves that she knew would make her mother and father freak out.

"Damn, she's really going all out, isn't she?" Dawn gasped, sipping on her drink of coke. Blaze, Aisha, and Misty just laughed and Dawn pouted while looking at them. "What am I missing?" she asked with a sigh, not at all surprised that there was some kind of hidden conversation that they had. Misty looked at Dawn with a perked brow.

"It's been a long week for her," was all the redhead said and Dawn nodded, feeling the brunette's pain. Dawn only had school and the Halloween party to worry about, but May was literally a part of everything and anything in the school. She was probably busting her chops to get everything done. Drew, Gary, and Rocky all listened with rapt attention and Paul just rolled his eyes and slept, obviously bored of the performance already. Dawn rolled her own eyes at that, slightly confused as to how he could possibly sleep with all this noise. Blaze looked at the other girls and smirked.

"Want to go down there and give our girl some company?" The two redheads went to the center of the dance floor to be with May while Dawn and Aisha just sat with boys.

"_And I love what you do don't you know that I'm toxic?_" May sang and was delighted to see the wonder reds dancing along with her. _"With the taste of your lips, I'm on a ride..._" May trailed off as the upbeat came on again. "_You're toxic, I'm slipping under. With the taste of a poison paradise... I'm addicted to you don't you know that you're toxic?_" May sang the chorus again and was dirty dancing with Misty and Blaze much to the amusement and delight of everyone around them. "_Intoxicate me now... With your lovin' now... I think I'm ready now... I think I'm ready now... Intoxicated me now... With your lovin' now... I think I'm ready now..._" With the final beat the song ended and the crowd erupted into cheers.

"Now wasn't that steamy guys?" Byron called and everyone hollered and whooped as May blushed and returned back to the table. The adrenaline was slowly leaving her and she was becoming the bashful May once more.

"Maybelle Oak-Maple, you are so lucky Mom and Dad aren't here to see this," Gary smirked and May stuck her tongue out, proud of herself for performing a Britney classic. "But nicely played sis', nicely played."

"Uh...thanks, I guess?" May laughed as she took a seat, slightly out of breath from her breathless performance. "Someone want to show me up?" she asked before taking a huge gulp of her drink. Blaze, Aisha, Misty, and Dawn looked at each other.

"Well, don't look at me," Dawn muttered. "I have no idea what I'm doing yet." May smiled at her friend, happy that she was going to finally break out of that nervous shell of hers. Once Dawn was broken out of her shell, she was a completely different person. Blaze sighed as she stood up and stretched, happy to show up the female Oak sibling.

"Well, if I must!" she drawled sarcastically and winked at her friends before going over to Byron. The sandy haired boy noticed the next victim and couldn't help the smile that blossomed on his face. Blaze stood in front of him and took his breath away- the all black look was certainly working in her favor.

"Hey B, you singing something tonight?" he asked, already getting ready to search for the track. Blaze beamed and whispered her song choice in his ear. "Alright then. Alright guys, looks like we have another performance tonight, this time by the lovely Blaze Malcolm, bringing a little rock tonight. Hit it Blaze." The redhead turned to the boy next to her.

"You are ridiculous!" she exclaimed with a grin as the guitar started to boom from the stereos. Byron just grinned and gestured her forward. Blaze flicked her fringe as she started to sing. "_Right, right, turn off the lights- we're gonna loose our minds tonight. What's the deal, yo?_" Blaze shrugged casually as she started to walk down the stairs, her leather pants catching the eye of every warm blooded male out there.

"Of course she would choose Pink. She's Blaze's idol," Aisha grinned at her friend who was catching the eye of several guys, a certain DJ included.

"Blaze was meant to sing Pink; same raspy voice and everything," May commented and nodded approvingly at her friend. Misty just grinned as people were actually moving to the beat instead of dirtily dancing against one another.

"_I love when it's all too much, 5 AM, turn the radio up- where's the rock and roll?_" Blaze mimicked playing an air guitar causing people to laugh. "_Party crasher, penny snatcher. Call me up, if you are gangster. Don't be fancy, just get dancy. Why so serious?_" Blaze trailed off as she reached the middle of the floor. "_So raise your glass if you are wrong, in all the right ways. All my underdogs, we will never be, never be. Anything but loud, and nitty-gritty, dirty little freaks! So won't you come on and come on and raise your glass! Just come on and come on and raise your glass!_"

Blaze was jumping everywhere, her combat boots not limiting her to just walking. She had mimicked raising a glass in the air and honestly looked like she was having the time of her life. "_Slam, slam, oh, hot damn, what part of party don't you understand? Wish you'd just freak out!_" Blaze brought her free hand to her head and thrashed it side to side. "_Can't stop, comin' in hot, it's so on right now._" Blaze ran forward then stopped and pumped her fist in the air. "_Party crasher, penny snatcher. Call me up, if you are gangster_." Blaze had found a random kid and just slung her arm around his shoulder and moved from side to side.

"There's now words for that girl right now!" Misty grinned as she enjoyed her fellow redhead performing the upbeat song. Dawn looked at Misty and the rest of the girls.

"Why do you guys sing in the first place?" Dawn asked. None of the girls were aspiring singers so that was out of the question. They weren't even in a school singing group so there should be no reason to spend Friday nights singing karaoke, of all things. May looked at Dawn, a certain look in her eyes.

"It's not like we're trying to show off. Trust me, none of us are professional singers. But just look at Blaze...there's not many times that we see her just let loose like that. Think of it as a way of letting loose and just get out of your shell once in a while. It's fun, once you get into it."

"Wow June, that was pretty deep," Drew commented, eliciting a glare from May's sapphire eyes. "Ooh, I'm so scared," he muttered, leaning back and watching the redhead perform.

"_Don't be fancy, just get dancy. Why so serious? So raise your glass if you are wrong, in all the right ways. All my underdogs, we will never be, never be. Anything but loud, and nitty-gritty, dirty little freaks. So won't you come on and come on and raise your glass! Just come on and come on and raise your glass! Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass! Just come on and come on and raise your glass!_" Blaze was jumping around again but ended up at the bar that was placed at one end of the club. She took a seat on one of the barstools and was breathing slightly heavily. "_Oh shoot! My glass is empty... This sucks!_" Blaze muttered into the mic as she held up an empty cup. "_So if you're too school for cool. And you're treated like a fool. You can choose to let it go. We can always, we can always...party on our own..._" Blaze stood up and put the cup down but then got everyone laughing as she actually climbed up on the bar stand. Even the bartender (who only served root beer and other fizzy drinks) laughed. "_So raise your glass! (oh crap!)_"

"Dear Mew, what is she doing?" Dawn laughed as Blaze was literally jumping and stomping on the bar table.

"_So raise your glass if you are wrong, in all the right ways. All my underdogs, we will never be, never be. Anything but loud, and nitty-gritty, dirty little freaks! So raise your glass if you are wrong, in all the right ways, all my underdogs. We will never be, never be, anything but loud, and nitty-gritty dirty little freaks. Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass! Just come on and come on and raise your glass! Won't you come on and come on and raise you glass, for me! Just come on and cone on and raise your glass...for me!_" Blaze ended strong as everyone gave her a loud round of applause.

"Ah, Blaze, you were amazing!" Aisha squealed as Blaze came into sight from the table. But then her smile faded, knowing that this meant she was forced to go next. The very same thought crossed Blaze's mind as well and the orange haired girl gave her best friend a full-blown smirk. Aisha rolled her eyes as Rocky nudged her with his foot. She swallowed and got up, unnecessarily dusting off her outfit and gaining more than a few stares as she walked over to where Byron was stationed.

"You ok there Sha?" Byron asked over the raging music. People had seen her get up from the coveted Eeveeite table and were anxiously awaiting her song choice. Aisha managed to nod and ran her hand over her face. "And what will the dance goddess be singing tonight?" Byron asked and Aisha had to hold back her smile. Blaze thought she could hide stuff from her, but she knew how close the boy in front of her and her best friend had gotten. There was almost no way that she could resist his infectious charm now, even if she wasn't falling head over heels like almost every other girl in their school.

Aisha was thinking of a song choice and suddenly smiled brightly as she thought of her choice and leaned over to whisper it in Byron's ear. The sandy haired boy smiled in return and nodded, knowing that a fun little beat was needed after a few heavy performances. "Alright guys...Tapper here is going to give us a fun little beat to dance to...so let's give it up for the beautiful Aisha Evans!"

There was a little explosion and people startled as Aisha brought the microphone up to her mouth. "_Uno, dos, tres. It's been a really, really messed up week. Seven days of torture, seven days of bitter._" Aisha had taken a seat on the barstool and started singing as she ran her fingers through her hair, a mock expression on her face. "_And my boyfriend went and cheated on me. He's a California guy but it's time for me to quit him_." She turned and nodded to several people and people couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh Mew, is she actually doing this?" Misty laughed as they watched their friend sing in her voice that was a complete 180 from Hot Chelle Rae's masculine voice. Blaze sniggered at her friend, shaking her head though she was proud to have her friend come out of her shell. Dawn looked at the group of friends with confusion.

"Why was Aisha so nervous in the first place? She's an amazing singer!" the bluenette exclaimed, cheering as Aisha had gotten on top of a table and was swaying her hips. Rocky reluctantly tore his eyes off the girl.

"She's funny like that. Thinks she'll horribly fail at something but ends up doing amazing things with it. Like singing; she's a class-A singer but Sha believes that she's a terrible singer." Rocky smiled as he said this, his eyes unable to stop following the black haired girl as she sang.

"_La, la, la; whatever,_" she shrugged casually, "_La, la, la, it doesn't matter. La, la, la, oh well! La, la, la! We're going at it tonight, tonight, there's a party on the rooftop top of the world, tonight, tonight,_" her voice hit the high note perfectly, "_and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign. I don't know if I'll make it, but watch how good I'll fake it, it's all right, all right, tonight, tonight!_" Aisha sang as her head bobbed to the beat and she jumped from the table to the floor.

"_I woke up with a strange tattoo,_" she stared at her arm weirdly. "_Not sure how I got it, not a dollar in my pocket. And it kind of looks just like you...mixed with Zach Galifianakis_" Aisha winked. "_La, la, la, whatever! La, la, la, it doesn't matter! La, la, la, oh well! La, la, la! We're going at it tonight, tonight, there's a party on the rooftop top of the world, tonight, tonight, and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign. I don't know if I'll make it, but watch how good I'll fake it. It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight!_"

Aisha twirled and got on top of the bar and held the microphone up to her mouth and began to sing the bridge. "_You got me singin' like whoa, come on! Whoa, it doesn't matter! Whoa, everybody now! Whoa! Just don't stop let's keep the beat pumpin' keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down. It's my party, dance if I want to, we can get crazy let it out. It's you and me and we're runnin' this town and me and you and we're shakin' the ground and ain't nobody gonna tell us to go, cause this is our show!_" Aisha's voice was beautiful and everyone cheered as she shouted the last part. "_Everybody! Whoa, come on, whoa, all you animals! Whoa, let me hear you now, ooh!_" People were magnetized to her and they sang along as she was moving to the dancy beat.

"_Tonight, tonight, there's a party on the rooftop, top of the world tonight, tonight, and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign. I don't know it I'll make it, but watch how good I'll fake it. It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight! It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight! Yeah it's all right, all right, tonight, tonight! Just singing like: Whoa, come on, ooh, all you party people! Whoa, all you singletons, ooh, even the white kids! Just don't stop, let's keep the beat pumpin', keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down. It's my party, dance if I want to, we can get crazy, let it all out! Just don't stop, let's keep the beat pumpin', keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down. It's my party, dance if I want to, we can get crazy, let it all out!_"

The song ended on an upbeat and the lights just turned off as Aisha finished her song. The teens cheered as Aisha sighed and made her way back to her table where all her friends smiled brightly at her. "Eh, not my best," Aisha sighed as she sat down and blushed when May flicked her on the shoulder. "Ow! May!" Aisha pouted as she rubbed the little sore spot on her upper arm. However, her yelling would have to wait because of the convenient arrival of their food.

"Oh, you guys are lucky, but after we finish our food, you two are going!" May devilishly grinned, enjoying the looks of discomfort on Dawn and Misty's faces. Misty had always been uncomfortable with performing but she had never seen Dawn outside her element. Apparently, the navy haired girl thought the same thing.

"Kill me, now," she muttered.

* * *

**Welp, that's all you're going to get for now until probably next Sunday...if you're lucky. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Be sure to leave me reviews and also, tell me which songs you'd like Misty and Dawn to sing. Misty, I think I have down, but Dawn I'm not so sure. As always, your favorites, follows, and reviews are appreciated and make me the happiest little Pikachu on the planet :)**

**Songs used:**

_**Toxic: Britney Spears**_

_**Raise Your Glass: P!nk**_

_**Tonight, tonight: Hot Chelle Rae**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it's up kind of late guys, RL has been kicking my ass. I've got huge exams coming up in less than a month but I'll try my best to post something or the other in the weeks coming up but be warned...I might disappear for a while! Anyway, since not a lot of you read my A/N up here, I'll keep it short and sweet. First, thank you to all the reviewers! We've hit 30 reviews...and it's only chapter 9! And second, watch out for a bit more drama. We're still in September but the school year is just beginning!**

**Now enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Misty was dreading this moment. The food was done and everyone was looking at her and Dawn, waiting for them to choose a song. Dawn looked at her nervously, her nerves fried and weird thoughts in her brain making her feel uncomfortable. Misty turned to her new friend, giving her a warm smile. "I can sing with you if you want," the redhead offered. Dawn smiled but shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I think I know what I want to do," she smiled. May grinned and nudged the navy-haired girl.

"Then go!" she urged, her famous pearly white smile shining brightly in the dim lighting. Dawn looked down nervously. May seemed to pick up on that and then turned to her best friend, an evil glint in her eyes. "Go Mist go!" May cheered. Drew kicked her from under the table and she yelped a bit, sticking her tongue out at him. "_You_ are the absolute worst!" May scoffed while scrunching up her lips. "I'm just trying to have a good time tonight."

"Oh stop with the dramatics Maple," Drew rolled his eyes and May looked to her brother for assistance, but the male Oak just shrugged and smirked. May groaned dramatically as she sunk back in her seat, bringing the cup of root beer to her lips as her so-called friends laughed at her expense. Misty got up, actually excited for her song. She ignored the cat calls that she was getting from her ridiculously loud friends and made her way to her fellow water trainer who was currently mixing tracks, making them effortlessly flow and give a dancy vibe to the entire club.

"Byron!" Misty called in a sing-song voice. The sandy haired boy perked up and immediately pulled up his playlist of songs. "I've got a song for you!" she added as she finally made it. She leaned towards his ear and whispered his song choice and he smiled in return.

"Alright party people, I've got another one of my Eevee girls ready to perform for you guys...so I want y'all to stand up and start dancing. Take it away Mist!" Byron smirked and handed off the microphone to the fiery redhead. The electric guitar and synthesized drum beat boomed through the speakers as Misty took a seat at the DJ booth.

"_This is more than the typical kind of thing. Felt the jones in my bones when you were touching me, uh oh, didn't wanna take it slow._" Misty swayed her body while singing, letting her hands run over her body as her entire face was hidden by the black Fedora that was still on her head. She finally jumped down and slowly walked down the stairs, feeling the adrenaline rush through her as people started cheering. They had recognized the song and were grabbing people to dance with. From her peripheral vision, she saw May and Aisha grab Drew and Rocky and make their way onto the dance floor. "_In a daze, going crazy, I can barely think_" Misty brought her index finger near her brain and rotated it in a 'you're crazy' kind of fashion. "_You're replaying in my brain, find it hard to sleep. Uh oh, waiting for my phone to blow. Uh oh, yep._"

* * *

"Misty is absolutely amazing! Why in the name of Ho Oh wouldn't she want to show it off?" Dawn laughed as she couldn't help but sway to the catchy beat. Misty's voice was able to hit the notes perfectly and she had an amazing range in her voice. She was able to hit the low notes when needed but was also able to hit the high notes, which, in Dawn's opinion, sounded absolutely flawless. The bluenette didn't miss the admiring look in a certain male Oak's eyes when Misty was dancing looking like she was having the time of her life out there. Gary turned to look at Dawn.

"That's the thing with Misty. She's so shy, but once she actually gets out there, she transforms into this amazing person. She's just not very confident in herself," he replied to Dawn's question. Dawn looked up, a soft look in her eyes. She may have only known these people for a little less than a week, but she had this amazing ability to spot the love for people. And right now, Gary's eyes were filled with it.

* * *

"_Now I'm here in a sticky situation; got a little trouble yep and now I'm pacing. Five minutes, ten minutes, now it's been an hour. Uh, don't wanna think too hard but I'm sour. Oh, uh oh I can't seem to let you go!_" Misty's voice flawlessly spit the words out, the words barely able to register in people's minds. May grinned as she saw her best friend show off one of her many talents. Misty had finally reached the middle of the dance floor and grabbed her fedora and tossed it out to the crowd. People cheered as she began to sing the chorus. "_See I've been waiting all day, for you to call me baby! So let's get up, let's get on it, don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight. Come on, that's right. Honest baby, I'll do, anything you want to. So we can finish what we started, don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight. Come on, that's right, uh Cheerio._"

* * *

Dawn looked at Misty with reverence. Although she had made such a big deal out of it, Misty undoubtedly had talent in her blood. It was so unfair how everyone was perfect in this group of friends. She sighed and slumped her right cheek into the palm of her right hand, her right elbow resting on the tabletop. Blaze had gone to assist Byron and Gary decided to flirt with the girls, particularly with, Dawn noticed, Leaf Hana. Dawn swallowed as she saw the two dance together and Misty singing while practically burning holes into him. Paul seemed to open his eyes as she heaved another sigh.

"Do you mind Troublesome?" he gruffly spat out. Dawn lazily turned her gaze on him. "I'm trying to sleep here and your incessant sighing is keeping me up."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want me to stop breathing your precious air as well?" Dawn responded in a snarky manner.

* * *

"_What's the time, such a crime, not a single word. Sipping on a Patron just to calm my nerves. Uh oh, poppin' bottles by the phone. Oh yeah! Had me up, had me down, turned me inside out; that's enough, call me up, maybe I'm in doubt. Uh oh, I don't think you even know! No, no!_" Misty's voice had taken a slightly wistful voice that made it obvious to everyone who it was directed to.

* * *

"Stop overreacting Troublesome. It's just singing," Paul rolled his eyes and glared at Dawn as if blaming her for world hunger. Dawn looked down, suddenly unable to look at his piercing black eyes.

"It's not just singing! This whole thing" she waved her hands in the air, gesturing at the club and the singing girl "is just a way for me to mess up and ruin the reputation of you guys. I'm not perfect and I don't want let them down." Dawn's voice had started out passionate but had softened into a mumble. Paul rolled his eyes once more, though something changed within them.

"You could never let them down. As annoying and moronic as they are, May and the other girls never judge," Paul groused out. Dawn looked up with a perked brow and a slightly surprised expression on her face.

* * *

"_See I've been waiting all day, for you to call me baby. So let's get up, let's get on it, don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight. Come on, that's right. Honest baby, I'll do anything you want to. So we can finish what we started, don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight. Come on, that's right, uh Cheerio._"

* * *

"Look, just go out there and have fun. The Eeveeites won't judge you; this is just for their idiotic pleasure." Paul's voice suddenly hardened as if he realized where he was and who he was talking to. Dawn just shook her head at the ridiculousness of it all and the fact that Paul, of all people, was talking to her.

* * *

"_Anything you wanna do, I'll be on it too. Everything you say is like 'go with the view'; business in the front, party on the back. Maybe I was wrong, was the outfit really wack?_" Misty was yet again rapping and surprising everyone with her rapping abilities. She was moving around, twisting her hips and as she sang and rapped the words, one couldn't help but notice her directed gaze. Unfortunately, the recipient had his back turned on her in favor of dancing with another girl. Dawn winced for her friend.

"_This kind of thing doesn't happen, usually; I'm on the other side of it, truthfully. I know you want it so come and get it, Cheerio._" The electric guitar stopped and only the beat remained."_See I've been waiting all day, for you to call me baby. So let's get up, let's get on it, don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight! Oh!_" Misty held on to the 'oh' for a long time, people once again cheering as she held the note for a long period of time. "_Honest baby I'll do, anything you want to! So let's finish what we started, don't you leave me brokenhearted tonight! Come on, that's right, cheeri, cheerio! When you gonna call? Don't you leave me brokenhearted. I've been waiting up, let's finish what we started oh, oh. I can't seem to let you go. Come on, that's right, cheerio, uh!_" Misty finished strong and bowed to the crowd, beaming. She made her way back to the table with a smile on her face, though it had slightly faded once she had caught sight of Gary and Leaf.

"Misty, that was absolutely amazing. I'm really jealous now," Dawn pouted, trying to shift her attention. Misty rolled her eyes as she sat down and nudged Dawn's shoulder. "Ok, ok, I'm going. But I'm changing my shoes so I don't die out there." The redhead's eyes widened as Dawn magically conjured a pair of fancy flats from her bag.

"Where on Earth did you get that?" she laughed and Dawn shrugged as she put the heels on the floor and slipped on the comfortable shoes. "Oh gosh, you have the Mary Poppins bag!" Misty snorted and Paul rolled his eyes. Dawn suddenly sobered as she realized what she was about to do. Paul looked at her with that strangely serious look on his face again.

"Just go sing and get it over with Troublesome- you'll be fine." His voice was yet again gruff but it caused Misty's eyes to widen once more and look at the only male at the table with undisguised shock. He pointedly ignored her look and leaned back on the wall. Dawn winked at Misty and got up, finally ready just to get it over with. Paul was right; this was just about having fun. None of her friends would judge her and even if they did, it would be ok. She would laugh it off...while being the talk of the school...and embarrass herself for the rest of her high school career- _No Dawn, positive thoughts_. Dawn took a deep breath as she finally reached the booth. The scrutinizing stares of the inhabitants of the club were slowly killing her but she held her head up high. Byron met her gaze with a warm one and the navy haired girl just had to smile back.

"Hey Sunshine, what can I do for you today?" Dawn nearly snorted at the originality of the nickname but held her breath, the nerves consuming her. This was why she preferred to be back stage or behind the scenes; she didn't like the judging stares of people. Dawn shook her head quickly before her stage fright got the best of her.

"Oh By, you know why I'm here," Dawn grinned and leaned forward to whisper her song choice. Byron nodded and quickly pulled up the song, squeezing her hand before handing her the microphone. Byron didn't need to announce her presence- everyone already knew she was there. She caught May's thumbs up and suddenly a smile graced her face as she heard the electric guitar intro that merged with the drum beat. After a little intro the chords changed as she held up the microphone to her mouth and began one of her favorite songs of all time.

"_Are you listening? Hear me talk, hear me sing? Open up the door, is it less, is it more?_" Dawn slowly walked down the stairs, her hips swaying as she sang, her voice pure and strong and catching the attention of everyone. People were whispering and the lights were blinding but Dawn was consumed in the music.

"_When you tell me to beware, are you here, are you there? Is it something that I know? Easy come, easy go. Noddin' your head, don't you hear a word I said? I can't communicate when you wait, don't relate. I try to talk to you but you never even knew, so what's it gonna be? Tell me, can you here me?_" The music suddenly stopped as Dawn reached the bottom. It felt like the longest moment in her life as people watched her. She spun around and held the microphone up to her face as she started to jump around just as Victoria Justice did in her show. "_I'm so sick of it, you're attention deficit, never listen, never listen! I'm so sick of it, so I'll throw another fit! Never listen, never listen. So I scream your name! It always stays the same! I scream and shout! So what I'm gonna do now, is freak the freak out! Hey! Whoah...whoah...whoah...whoah..._" Dawn danced as the music began to play and there was a pause between the verses.

"Go Dawn!" May could be heard screaming through the cheers of the people and Dawn could faintly spot her dancing with Drew but spin towards Blaze who was also screaming her name, the both of them pretending to fan-girl and nearly causing the navy haired girl to burst out laughing. Misty was with the girls and waving a dollar in the air and suddenly, everything just seemed right.

"_Patience running thin, running thin, come again. Tell me what I get, opposite, opposite. Show me what is real, if it breaks, does it heal? Open up your ear, why you think, that I'm here?_" Dawn put her hand out to one side then brought to another before bringing it to her heart and shimmying slowly to the ground and back up. She held her free hand up to her ear and nodded as if she was actually listening to someone. She had reached the middle of the floor and suddenly Blaze, Aisha, and May were there cheering her on. "_Keep me in the dark, are you even thinking of me? Is someone else above me? Gotta know, gotta know. What am I gonna do? Cause you I get through to you, so what's it's gonna be? Tell me, can you hear me? _Can you hear me?" Dawn whispered the second 'can you hear me'. "_I'm so sick of it, you're attention deficit. Never listen, never listen. I'm so sick of it, so I'll throw another fit! Never listen, never listen. So I scream your name! It always stays the same. I scream and shout! So what I'm gonna do know, is freak the freak out!_" She got the rest of the club to scream with her and Dawn was jumping everywhere throwing her hands in the air. Courage took over her and she was climbing onto tables, particularly Naomi and Holly's table. May and Blaze laughed as Dawn was jumping around and caused the table to wobble and their drinks to start shaking and tipping over.

Dawn gracefully jumped from the girls' table to the bar where the bartender had given up trying to shoo the Eeveeites from dancing on top of his bar. "_Whoah...whoah...whoah...whoah! Whoah...whoah...whoah...whoah_!" The three girls were dancing up a storm as the jumped and twisted their hips from side to side. Her other friends were dancing on the dance floor but she couldn't help but notice that Paul was still sitting in the booth, not wanting to have anything to do with her or their group of friends. "_Easy come easy go... Easy come, easy go..._" The music was suddenly low as Dawn was about to sing the last chorus. Before she could do that, she whispered "Can you hear me?" Dawn spun around once more. "_I scream your name! It always stays the same. I scream and shout! So what I'm gonna do now, is freak the freak out! Hey! Whoah...whoah...whoah...whoah! Whoah...whoah...whoah...whoah! I scream your name... But you never listen! No you never listen! But you never listen..._" Adrenaline was pumping through Dawn's veins as she finished the song and the people were cheering. May was hugging her and Blaze was saying something but she just couldn't register it because _it felt so damn good_.

She walked back to the table and was bombarded by a stampede of hugs from Aisha, Blaze, Misty, and finally May. There was a huge smile on her face and May finally let go of her and took a step back, giving Dawn a mock glare. "Excuse me Ms. I'm-too-scared-to- sing, you were absolutely amazing! How could you ever doubt yourself?" Dawn blushed and mumbled something.

"Oh stop it you guys!" she laughed and they sat down, excited to eat, sing, and dance some more.

* * *

Dawn was sitting at the booth while the rest of the girls decided to chat with Byron. It wasn't that she was antisocial, but she didn't feel very comfortable with Byron enough to actually start some kind of conversation with him. What the navy haired girl didn't realize was that Paul was an actual antisocial nut and didn't like to move very much. So the moment the girls and guys left to chat with the DJ, Dawn was left alone with the stoic onyx-haired boy. She was currently shifting her eyes and sipping her drink in order to avoid having to talk to the boy she knew nothing about. Inspiration struck her and she turned to the boy who was sitting across from her at the moment, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"Tell me about yourself." Dawn's question turned more into a commanding statement and Paul opened one eye to look at her, almost mockingly. Dawn blushed and looked down, trying to gather her wits. "I mean, you guys seem so close and I'd just like to know everyone."

"Then go talk to someone else." His voice was terse and emotionless and made Dawn feel like a chastised child, but that didn't deter her. She set her drink down and folded her arms on the table in order to make a slight cushion to lean on. He looked at her and caught her determined gaze and repressed a sigh.

"I don't want to talk to someone else. I want to talk to you," she argued. Paul shook his head knowing that this was a lost battle. "So, since you obviously know that I'm not going to stop asking until you answer, tell me about yourself!" Dawn persisted.

"My name is Paul," he snorted and then leaned back, anxious to stop talking to her. Dawn frowned and turned away. There was something in her eyes that made him heavily sigh and then add on to his previous statement. "Paul Shinji, 16 years old, antisocial and I hate the world." Dawn winced, having the grace to regret asking him the question.

"Well...I'm Dawn Berlin, I'm 14 years old and I love the world along with everything and everyone else. My dream is to be an artist or a fashion designer," Dawn replied softly feeling obligated to tell the boy about herself even though it was clear he wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Fascinating," Paul drawled, rolling his eyes for emphasis. Dawn frowned and sipped her drink, her heart sinking to the ground. She was just trying to be polite. "So what, are you a daddy's girl?" Paul sneered and anger swelled up in Dawn's eyes as she glared at him with fury he had never seen in her before.

"No! My father can rot in hell for all I care!" Dawn spat, not even caring as Paul perked a brow, a tiny sliver of guilt present in his charcoal eyes. "He walked out on us when I was six years old. As far as I'm concerned, he's dead to me." Paul swallowed and tried to bring things to a happier atmosphere. This was _exactly_ why he avoided talking to people. He always said the wrong thing and ended up causing more grief than happiness.

"Whatever happened to loving everything and everyone in the world?" Paul imitated her and Dawn stuck her tongue out. "Oh, and let me guess, you absolutely love to shop!" He imitated her again and she blushed kicking his leg from under the table. "Really Troublesome?"

"I don't talk like that...do I?" Dawn queried, suddenly nervous as she heard Paul miming her and her voice. Paul rolled his eyes. "Never mind. So what about you? Who do you live with?" Paul's eyes, which had actually gleamed a few moments ago, hardened once more. "Ok, straying off that topic...favorite food? Favorite pass time activity? Favorite color?" Dawn smirked, knowing that it was irritating the boy sitting across from her.

"Shut up before I shove something down your throat Troublesome," Paul warningly growled. Dawn clapped her hands together and formed a fist with two hands.

"But Paul!" she drawled while simultaneously giggling. "I just wanna be your friend!" she squealed as highly pitched as she could causing Paul to furrow his eyebrows and glare at her even harder. Dawn snorted and let her hands fall to the table. She slung her hair over her left shoulder and then picked up her drink once more as if nothing had even happened. "Oh come on, like I would really be like that. I'm not some stereotypical girl," she narrowed her eyes. Paul just stared at her and Dawn had a blank look on her face.

"I beg to differ Troublesome. I think you are exactly the stereotype of a girl. Tell me, what's your favorite sport?" Paul asked, the corners of his mouth twitching up. Dawn decided to count this as a success of getting him to show some sort of emotion.

"Cheerleading and gymnastics," she said softly but loud enough for Paul to hear and snort in response. "But, but... That's not fair!" Dawn whined. Paul's mouth twitched once more before he realized where they were and then his lips tightened and his face became passive once more. Dawn looked up to see and mentally curse when she saw the girls sans Blaze come back from the DJ station. Aisha was the first one to reach the table. She looked flushed with happiness and tiredness from all the dancing that she had just done.

"Paul, I hope you haven't threatened to kill her," Aisha laughed as she squeezed in, the whole group following behind her and slipping into their original seats. Dawn snorted and smirked.

"As if I'd let him. He would never survive my heels of death." Dawn replied for Paul, while holding her black heels and the girls hummed their responses. May turned to Dawn with a mischievous smile on her face.

"You'll never believe it, I just had the strangest dream. Paul was actually talking!" she laughed and Paul threw his napkin at her. May pouted as everyone laughed at her expense. "Well now!" she huffed but her eyes betrayed her good nature and Paul just had to almost smile at the brunette- it was extremely hard not to love her. She just had a way of weaseling into your heart. Misty glanced at her phone and heavily sighed as she stuffed it back in her clutch.

"I hate to break it to you guys, but it's almost midnight and we have to get home before our parents have aneurysms. I really don't need the triple speech _again_," Misty bitterly said as she got up. May and Gary's brows identically furrowed but it was Gary who got up first when they heard Misty's tone. Dawn could only watch helplessly along with May as Misty's bright jade eyes faded in a matter of moments. May got up and the girls followed suit. The guys allowed the girls to go out first before they got up. Dawn couldn't help but smirk when she saw Drew helping May with her coat, his hands lingering on her shoulders longer than necessary. They quickly ushered Byron out of his DJ booth and he was able to catch up with the rest of his friends in a matter of moments.

"Sleepover at my house?" May asked as soon as they got outside. Even though it was still September, it was late at night and the warm air had slightly cooled down enough to give the girls goose bumps on their exposed skin. Aisha had reluctantly accepted Rocky's jacket and had leaned into him for extra warmth while Blaze didn't hesitate to call out her Flareon in hopes of its flames keeping her warm.

"No can do Princess, I have to help out Grams tomorrow and I don't intend on missing any hours. Arceus knows we'll be up until the wee hours of the morning doing Entei knows what. Maybe another day girl!" Blaze apologized. Aisha smiled sadly and shrugged but May brushed it off, saying she knew how strict her parents were about grades and sleeping over. May looked over at Dawn, the classic Oak fire burning into her eyes.

"You're sleeping over right? You have to! I don't want to face Laura all by myself!" May whined half jokingly, half seriously. Dawn could easily pick up the serious and desperate undertones so she slung an arm around the brunette's shoulder.

"Of course. I'll just text my mom and see what she says. I'm assuming we're sleeping over at the Prof's house?" Dawn replied. She was walking while simultaneously texting and talking- it was a wonder that she didn't crash into anything. May groaned and reluctantly nodded.

"As much as I wish we didn't have to... Gramps is always complaining that I never see him much. So Mom said that I'm allowed to switch off houses whenever I want to since I'm 15 anyway. She said she knows I'll either be at her or Gramps' house so as long as I don't pull a fast one on her..."

"Oh you mean like sneak on a train all the way back to Pallet Town?" Gary snorted and May rolled her eyes, her heels clicking on the pavement as she walked at a much faster rate. Gary sighed as he saw that talking about that time was still a rough subject for her. Add to the fact that their father and stepmother were coming back into town for the weekend... Well, let's just say that May wasn't a very happy camper at the moment.

* * *

The group decided to just walk it out while dropping their friends at their respective houses. Blaze was the first one to be dropped off, followed by Aisha, Paul, Rocky, and Byron who all lived close to each other. Dawn's mother had texted her ok so the group of four decided to head to the Oak mansion. Drew usually slept over at the Oak mansion since he didn't like sleeping at home alone. Since Drew basically lived a block away, he could sneak back to his house if need be. May was still ignoring Gary for his little jab and chatting with Dawn about how she was adjusting to LaRousse. Gary had given up trying to get his sister to talk to him and just resorted to talking to Drew about Arceus knows what.

They finally reached the Oak mansion and May suddenly seemed to want to head to Drew's house the moment she saw the shiny silver convertible and black limo shining in the moonlight. She was tugging on Dawn's arms, trying to get away from the big iron gates that separated them from 'hell and the outside'- May's words, not Dawn's. Gary sighed but opened the gates and May sighed in defeat as she sluggishly trailed behind the boys. The butler opened the door and Dawn could only gaze once more at the amazingness that was the Oak residence. A high-pitched squeal echoed around the gigantic house as a woman in a short, tight, red dress came hurtling towards them. She immediately enveloped Gary and Drew in her arms and kissed them both profusely, promptly ignoring May- not that the brunette cared. For all the female Oak cared, she was just a blonde bimbo that was temporarily in her father's life.

"Oh, boys, it's so good to see you!" Laura squealed and Drew was the first one able wriggle out of her death grip on him and Gary. "Oh I missed you so much Gary!" Laura's voice took on a baby tone, as if Gary was still in first grade. Dawn could only stare at this lady- May's description was spot on. Laura looked like the stereotypical trophy wife, with immaculate blonde hair and honey suckle eyes, plump red lips, and an attractive body with complimentary amazing assets. The younger female Oak had literally resorted to tapping her foot until Mrs. Satan (yet again, May's exact words) looked up with an annoyed look in her eyes. "Oh, hello May darling. I didn't see you there." May's stepmother's voice had immediately chilled and gone down several octaves.

"That's alright, I can barely-mph!" May sneered but Drew managed to cover her mouth just in time. May literally bit him and he yelped in pain, glaring at her but it stopped short when he saw how icy her normally warm sapphire eyes had become. "I mean, _pleasure_ seeing you here. I didn't even know you were coming until Gary told me this morning," May's voice dripped in sarcasm. Laura seemed to swallow back any comment she had and directed her gaze on May's body.

"Oh my sweetie, have you gained a bit of weight since I last saw you? I've always told Grayson that your appetite was going to bite you back in the butt!" Laura laughed but it was nothing like the tinkling laugh Dawn was used to hearing from May or Caroline. This laugh was full of malice but also had the right amount of sugary sweetness that it sounded real to the untrained ear. Both of the boys' eyes widened as May just took her words with no comment. "And my, my, what on _Earth_ are you wearing? I'm betting you don't want your father or grandfather to see that outfit." The blonde woman laughed again and Dawn grit her teeth. She had literally never hated someone in ten minutes. Thankfully, before May could burst with well deserved anger, Grayson Oak decided to make an appearance.

"Princess!" he called as he held his arms open for a hug. May's forced smile turned a bit more genuine as she speed-walked into his arms. "Oh, baby girl I missed you so much!" He squeezed her hard before holding her far enough to kiss her on the head and then on her cheeks. May giggled and hugged him again.

"Hi daddy," she laughed as she inhaled the almost familiar scent though it had slightly changed due to him spending so much time with Laura and her overpowering perfume. "How are you? How were the Orange Islands?" she smiled, talking off her shoes and leading him to the couch. "On second thought, I'm going to change really quickly. By the way, this is Dawn; she's new and she's sleeping over here, just though I'd tell you." May was literally talking a mile a minute as she dragged Dawn up the winding staircase. They made it to her room and she slammed the door shut before running and jumping stomach- down on the bed. Dawn sat down next to May and soothingly rubbed her back as she screamed into the sheets.

"She really is Satan," was the first thing Dawn said and May burst into peals of laughter. She got up and grabbed a pair of sweats and a tank top. Quickly shucking her clothing, she slipped them on, only to remember that Dawn was there as well. May gestured to her drawers and her closet, probably meaning that Dawn was allowed to help herself. The navy haired girl chose flannel pants and an oversized t-shirt. She pulled her hair into a messy top-bun and washed her face of any makeup that she had on. May washed her face as well and took out her contacts that Dawn was actually surprised that she had. May laughed and made a flippant comment about people bullying her when she was younger and wanting to become more beautiful- Dawn thought she was already crazy gorgeous. The girls quickly pulled on socks and slippers and headed downstairs where Grayson was talking to Gary while patiently waiting for his daughter to return.

"That was record time sweetheart," Grayson laughed and Dawn couldn't help but compare the two male Oaks' laughs. Gary snorted and May rolled her eyes, letting the comment slide since she never really got to see her father. "So what were you saying before you ran away from me?" May laughed behind closed lips.

"I was asking you how the Orange Islands were. At least, that was the last place I know you were in..." May added as an afterthought, not noticing how Grayson slightly winced. Dawn had a sneaking suspicion that Grayson Oak hadn't been away for just business and had delayed coming home.

"Well, they were absolutely amazing. It's actually very interesting how many new pokemon have showed up in the waters. Of course, I got to meet them up close and personal under the water... Oh! I have a few pictures for you to see!" It was easy to see where May had gotten her habit of topic hopping from as Grayson just couldn't seem to finish one of his sentences. It was obvious the man was a true pokemon enthusiast. May excitedly looked at the pictures and Dawn awkwardly sat next to her. "Oh, and would you like to properly introduce me to your new friend?" May looked up.

"Daddy, this is Dawn Berlin. She moved here about two weeks ago and she lives right next door to Mom and Norman," May gestured towards the navy haired girl, who smiled politely at the elder Oak in return. Laura hadn't made an appearance in a while and was probably unpacking her belongings in Grayson's room.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Oak," Dawn beamed and bowed politely. Grayson boomed with laughter as she got up.

"Oh please, none of that 'Mr. Oak' stuff- only my colleagues call me that! Just call me Grayson," he smiled widely. Gary and Drew had gone to change and Grayson decided to let the children have the couch as he moved to his favorite sofa chair. Dawn and May took up the two seat couch and Drew decided to sit on the arm rest that was near May while Gary sat on the one that was near Dawn. "So May bear, how's school going? I haven't talked to you in so long, but your Gramps has been telling me that you've been crazy busy."

"Yea, well, when you're the leader and sophomore representative of almost every school activity and thing that goes on, it's kind of hard to find free time," May laughed good naturedly and then beamed. "Oh and did I tell you? I finally beat Drew in a match on the first day of school. It's safe to say that the fan girls weren't very happy with me." May squealed as Drew reached down to tickle her feet, which were currently bare. Grayson couldn't help but smile at the two.

"I told you June, it was just a fluke. No need to go around bragging," he drawled and then ruffled her hair causing her to swat his hands away and accidently knock her glasses askew. Dawn laughed and fixed them for her and May stuck her tongue out before pinching Drew on his arm.

"Good for you May! And Gary, don't think I didn't hear about your win with Umbreon on Thursday," Grayson smirked at his son, which scarily mirrored Gary's smirk. "By the way, where's Misty? I thought she would be with you guys." At that statement, Gary couldn't help but frown a little.

"Apparently her sisters are giving her a hard time again," he muttered angrily and May seemed to mirror her older brother's sentiments. Dawn squeezed May's knees in comfort.

"So Dawn, tell me about yourself," Grayson smiled, ignoring May's cry of protest. Dawn hushed her as well, eager to prove herself worth to Grayson Oak.

"Well, as May said before, my name is Dawn Berlin. I'm 14 years old and I just moved here from Twinleaf Town. My passions include sketching, coordinating, and fashion designing. As you may be able to tell, I really want to be a fashion designer, both for Pokemon and humans." Grayson nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, that's very nice to hear that you have aspirations for when you grow older. I know that you two have your sights set as well," Grayson looked at his children. May beamed and just held up her gold charm bracelet as if that explained everything. Grayson smiled lovingly at his daughter, knowing she would grow up and be a Princess in the real world. It seemed that his son was thinking the same thing but turned to his father.

"You know me Pops- just can't keep me out of the lab or the fields," he grinned and the three Oaks laughed at the memory of a young Gary pretending he was a researcher like his grandfather and would put on a hat to go hunt for pokemon in the grass. Of course it was just lawn grass, but it was the though that counted. Drew seemed to remember this as well for he snorted and caused Grayson to shift his attention to him.

"So son, how are things with you? You're all growing so old I can barely keep up with you guys anymore!". Drew genuinely smiled at the older Oak and Dawn thought it was refreshing to see a true smile on the green haired boy's face for once.

"You know me, always the aspiring coordinator. We all know it was me who inspired May in the first place," he laughed loudly and May blushed as she muttered something unintelligible. The air seemed to chill as footsteps sounded from the winding staircase and Laura literally cooed Grayson's name. May seemed to physically cringe as the woman went and deliberately sat on his lap. Her face was literally one of disguised pleasure at May's discomfort. Before things could get any more awkward, Dawn nudged May's knee with her own and the two girls got up. May smiled at her father and raised her brows at her stepmother before the girls bid goodnight and headed downstairs.

"Night Daddy!" May called as they trooped down to the basement that contained the giant television and the home theater. The moment they got downstairs, May growled and then the two girls burst into fits of laughter. "Dear Mew, that was so awkward! Arceus I hate that woman!" May got out between laughs. May walked over and got the two beds set- as part of her basement haven, she made sure that there were beds or at least sofa beds for people to sleep on.

"Oh Celebi, I'm not even tired. What are we going to do?" Dawn asked and May looked at her with a devilish gleam in her eyes. "Oh gosh...what's that look you've got on your face?" Dawn asked but almost stopped short as an item was thrust into her hand. "A microphone?"

"Not just any microphone. The microphone that is the controller to the _greatest_ singing game of all time!" May squealed as she hurriedly popped in the karaoke game before her friend could protest. Dawn perked a brow as if to say 'really?'. "Ok, seriously. I don't care if we spent the whole night singing. Now we don't even have to _try_ to sing...just have fun!"

Dawn couldn't help but laugh as she grasped the microphone in her lap. The theme music for the game came on and Dawn could only try to keep a straight face as May attempted to hit bass notes and extremely high pitched notes. Dawn decided to join in, causing the girls to erupt into fits of laughter at 2 in the morning. The door to the basement opened and May and Dawn attempted to keep straight faces as Laura yelled at them for being too loud.

* * *

**So uh...random chapter of sorts? I just wanted to finish up Friday night and just reaffirm May and Dawn's friendship. Things will probably begin to pick up next chapter to look out for that...whenever it's coming out. I'm currently working on chapter 6 for Trouble in Paradise (which if you haven't read, you should read it!) so watch out for that as well! Anyway, I hope you're all sticking with me for this on the long run because I have big plans for this story.**

**Speaking of which, does anyone know a good guy name that goes with Hunter? As you can probably tell, I'm planning to introduce an OC into the mix and I need your guys' help for deciding a good name for her counterpart. Also, thank you to all the people who gave me suggestions for the songs that Misty and Dawn would think; I actually had this exact song planned out for Dawn, but had no idea what Misty would sing.**

**As usual, thank you for all the favorites, reviews, and follows. They truly, truly mean a lot to me. I love to hear your guys' reactions and criticisms and it makes my heart burst with happiness when I see that you guys actually enjoy this story!**

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I'll see you guys next time :D**

_**Songs Used:  
**__**Brokenhearted- Karmin  
**__**Freak the Freak Out- Victoria Justice**__**  
**_

**~Deepika**


	10. Chapter 10

**Guys, please forgive me. This is a super short chapter but I was kind of getting stuck on it and I really didn't want anything to be too forced. Plus, I just really wanted to get something out before I dive into my AP books because exams are coming up and I'm terrified. Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter and don't hate me too much because I'm not really very proud of it... I tried to get some cute moments between everyone but I really wanted to start expanding on Dawn and Paul's relationship so...yea. **

**Anyway, enough of my incessant rambling, and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 10_

_.:._

Monday rolled around and Dawn groaned as her alarm went off. Groggily, she felt around her nightstand for the evil piece of plastic and when the annoying beeping was finally off, Dawn was already awake and couldn't go back to sleep. She tiredly rubbed her eyes and stretched, a small animal-like noise involuntarily escaping her closed lips. Pushing back the covers, Dawn made her way to the bathroom where she began to undress and turn on the water. After stepping in the warm sprays, she got out and quickly did her hair and makeup and then ran downstairs seeing as she was going to start running late. She ate her breakfast and quickly brushed her teeth finally making it out of the door just as May was tiredly walking out of her door. Dawn couldn't help but laugh when she saw May's zombie-like walk and when she nearly tripped on a bump on the pavement.

"May, you better watch out! Step on a crack and you'll break your mother's back!" Dawn snorted. May made an unintelligible noise and Dawn took the opportunity to catch up with her friend. "You ok? You seem super tired today," Dawn worriedly commented, slinging an arm around the brunette. May groaned once more.

"Our grade is possibly the stupidest group of people you'll even come across," she huffed. "I was up until one in the morning trying to organize the venue for the Halloween party and then the lady tells me that she was unaware that we were even calling to reserve a hall. I specifically told the people in charge that they had to talk to someone first before I can even call but no!" May sarcastically dragged out the 'no'. "They couldn't even do that! And then the caterers got the complete wrong number and everything's a mess!" May ranted. Dawn winced and sympathetically squeezed her shoulder. May murmured an apology. "I'm sorry I'm so grouchy. People are seriously incompetent these days. Ha, I'm usually the one with all the positivity, but right now, I'm beyond angry. Add to the fact that I can't even go over Gramps' house today because Laura's there and I can't stand that woman!" May growled, her face turning red with anger. Dawn perked a brow.

"I thought they were just staying for the weekend," Dawn frowned. May rolled her eyes in response as they approached Blaze and Aisha's street.

"Laura was convinced that Gary needed to have more mother/son time as well as father/son time so she extended their stay for a week. Arceus, I can't even see Gramps or that house for a whole week. I don't even know what I did wrong. I was so nice to her when I met her for the first time and I was open minded! Why the heck does she hate me so much?" May wailed, actually sounding close to tears. Dawn slightly panicked- she didn't expect her Monday morning to be like this.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the two girls had reached Blaze's house. Dawn noted the huge mansion type house and slowly walked up the walkway in order to reach the door and ring the doorbell. A chime reverberated throughout the house and footsteps could be heard from the inside. The door was slowly unlocked but Dawn was close enough to recognize Blaze's voice yelling at her mother. The huge oak door finally opened and Dawn could make out Blaze saying "Screw off!" to her mother before turning around and seeing Dawn there. Scarlet stained Blaze's cheek but Dawn gave the redhead a small and understanding smile. Blaze returned it with her own and slammed the door behind her. She turned to Dawn with her bag slung on her shoulder and ran her fingers through her hair. "Parents, what are you going to do?" Blaze laughed and Dawn nodded in agreement. The two girls walked down the driveway and met up with May who had already gotten Aisha. The black haired girl looked a bit flustered but the girls made no comment and continued their walk. Dawn noticed one person missing and turned to May.

"Hey May, where's Misty?" she asked. May looked up as if realizing that the other redhead wasn't there and looked to Dawn.

"She's at swim practice. She goes every other day in the morning for official practice on starting Mondays but sometimes she just goes for fun." May clarified. Dawn nodded as the girls continued their walk. Suddenly May remembered something. "Guys, I've been meaning to talk about costumes," May began but was cut off from the simultaneous groans of the girls. The brunette frowned and turned to her friends. "Seriously? I thought we already talked about this!" she snapped and everyone looked a bit taken aback. May rolled her eyes and just stormed ahead of everyone. They had made it to the entrance of the school where the guys had just arrived but May continued to carve a path of fury as she crossed her arms and walked forward as quick as she could, trying to avoid everyone. Drew and Gary seemed to notice the brunette's anger before everyone else but made no comment as she literally pushed her way through the group of boys. Rocky was the first one to make a comment.

"Damn what's got her panties in a knot?" Aisha took the liberty of smacking him on the back of his head and he whimpered in pain. Byron sighed and shook his head, his eyes seeking Blaze's as if to ask what was going on. Gary sighed and muttered something about going to the school's pool and Paul just stoically stood there. Drew was the only one who went to go talk to May. Dawn sighed and turned around to her friends.

"May's cranky because she barely got any sleep and people were giving her trouble. I think she feels as if the whole party is ruined and it's all her fault." Dawn softly said. They had all unconsciously turned to May who was sitting under her favorite cherry blossom tree with her knees drawn close to her chest and her nose pressed to her kneecaps and Drew sitting down next to her and trying to talk to her. "I'm sure she has this whole thing planned for us and we're ruining it..." Aisha looked towards Dawn, confused.

"How do you know that?" Aisha queried. Dawn looked away awkwardly, trying her best to avoid the looks the group of people were giving her.

"May was telling me Saturday morning. She was all excited that we would be performing as a group together and she's probably upset that we don't want to." Dawn explained. Blaze frowned but Dawn could spot the guilt in the girl's eyes. A few pregnant moments of silence and then Blaze groaned and stamped her foot.

"Damn that brunette for making me feel guilty!" she groaned and wrapped her arms around her body trying to rid herself of the dreaded feeling. Byron smirked.

"Blaze Malcolm actually has a heart? Who would have thought?" he grinned manically. The flaming haired girl let out an animalistic screech and attempted to hit him while yelling that she was going to pummel him. As those two duked it out, Aisha turned to Dawn while Rocky and Paul, who hadn't said or done anything, with a soft look on her face.

"I guess it hasn't been easy for her, has it?" she rhetorically asked the group of friends. Dawn sighed and leaned against the large iron fence that created an arch at the entrance of the esteemed school. "I mean, practically being the leader of the sophomore class and then having to juggle that with a coordinating career and then add to that having to deal with Laura and her father. Arceus, now I feel terrible!" Aisha wailed having talked the whole time. Rocky gave her a small smile while patting her shoulder.

"Don't feel bad 'Sha," Rocky smiled and Aisha couldn't help but smile back at the olive skinned boy. It was refreshing to hear him be nice to her for once and not tease her endlessly. "Even if it is all your fault." Rocky just _had_ to add that last part. Aisha rolled her eyes and punched his arm muttering unintelligible words under her breath. Rocky pouted and started to chase after her when she started to walk away. "Sha, I was just kidding!" Rocky tried to insist.

Dawn tried hard to hold back the laugh that was threatening to escape her mouth. She pressed her lips together in order to repress it but failed as Rocky look absolutely desperate. "Rockwell Santiago don't you _dare_ start with me today!" Aisha growled as she tried to get away from the ridiculous boy who was chasing after her. They had gained the attention of everyone in the front courtyard and a few people were laughing and joking about them having another 'lover's spat'. Dawn noticed that May had looked up from Drew's arms and was shaking with laughter. Glad that the little drama was over for now, she hiked her bag further up her shoulder and turned to the plum haired boy stoically standing next to her.

"Do you want to walk to class with me?" Dawn asked sweetly. Paul perked a brow but said nothing else as he laggardly eased out of his relaxed position. He glared at her but not with the intensity that she was used to seeing.

"Don't think anything of it," he growled. The two started to walk to class together seeing as how they had first period together. Dawn beamed straight at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" she impishly replied. Paul rolled his eyes and continued to walk while Dawn skipped beside him. She was determined to spread her sunny cheerfulness to him one way or another. After a few minutes of silence, Dawn couldn't take it anymore. She started to hum softly under her breath hoping that Paul wouldn't catch her. Unfortunately, the hearing spirits decided not to spare her this wonderful Monday morning.

"Troublesome, would you _please_ stop humming?" Paul grit out, attempting to be polite. Dawn pouted and blushed, ashamed that he had caught her. For some reason, she had these brief moments of courage where she oozed of confidence, but at other times, she was a shy girl who absolutely couldn't stand up to this boy for her life. As they got closer to the science building, Paul surprisingly initiated a conversation. "What song were you humming?" he gruffly asked and it caught Dawn by such surprise that she had to ask him to repeat it. When he did, a nostalgic look took over her face.

"My mom used to sing it to me after...after life did a total 180," Dawn replied. No matter how ditzy or happy she looked to be, there were some things that should be kept private. Paul seemed to understand this completely and nodded. Seeing as they were finally having a decent conversation, Dawn decided to expand. "I would be crying in my bed after having a horrible nightmare and she would come running in with this loving and exasperated look on her face. Then she would kiss me on my forehead and tuck me in, stroking my hair and singing that lullaby until I would fall asleep."

"That sounds disgustingly girly," Paul blurted out then almost physically slapped himself. "But it's sweet. And that's something, coming from me," he smirked and Dawn bit her lip trying to reign in the initial anger that was already receding. She knew that Paul was a puzzle wrapped in an enigma surrounded by eight inch thick iron walls and this was how he expressed his sentiments. A cheeky smile blossomed on her face and she leaned over and nudged his shoulder.

"Aw, look at you being all sweet!" she sarcastically cooed and Paul snorted and rolled his eyes. But Dawn swore she saw a ghost of a smile on his face.

* * *

"No! No, no, no, no, _no_! How much more cliché can you get?" Dawn wailed as she and May exited the science building. Leave it to Mr. Tanner to assign them a project on the fourth day of school. Leave it to the sadistic spirits who were currently laughing up in heaven about Dawn's current predicament. May sighed despondently by her side.

"Tell me about it!" she groaned. "This is possibly the worst day of my life!" she moaned. Aisha and Blaze perked up at the sound of the two girls but wore similar looks of confusion on their faces. A perked brow was all Dawn needed to blow up what she had been holding for the last ten minutes.

"A project! A stinking project!" the bluenette growled. "He could have paired me up with absolutely _anyone_ in the class yet he decided to pair me up with Paul freaking Shinji!" Dawn ranted, her hands moving wildly as she sputtered out the words. "Like seriously? Has he ever seen us converse? Oh yea, that's right! _Paul doesn't even talk_! How in the name of Suicune does he expect me to work with that boy?" Blaze tried to hold in her laughter but it was evident in her voice.

"Let me guess May, you got Drew?" Blaze snorted and the brunette glared but didn't deny her statement. Blaze just full on laughed now. "Oh my Arceus, this is pure gold! Misty and the rest of the guys are going to get a kick out of this!" she giggled, a rare sight for Blaze Malcolm. Aisha could see the two girls steaming in their anger.

"Oh stop it Blaze Malcolm! Can't you see that they're already super mad about it? They don't need you making it worse!" May and Dawn smiled brightly at the tanned girl's defending comment but simultaneously groaned when they heard her whisper quite loudly, "It's totally the fates. I bet you one of them will crack and finally kiss."

After much bickering, the girls finally made it to the gymnasium where they learned that because the weather was going to start getting cold, they were going to make use of the outdoors. Groans could be heard throughout the gym as the students realized that they actually had to try now. Dawn laughed as she watched her friends change and then trudge outside. Contrary to popular belief, the bluenette loved the outdoors. She was an absolute nature junkie and was addicted to the smells and allures of the natural greenery.

"Are you kidding me? My body is _not_ made for this!" Blaze whined as she pulled down her shorts a little while pulling up her tank top. "I'm made to battle, not run!" Aisha rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"You're so immature Blaze," Aisha huffed but there was a hint of her smile on her tanned face. She watched May look around and glare when the brunette met the eyes of the strawberry blonde she so truly hated. "And you too May, stop glaring at Holly. They say if you don't look at a bear or provoke it, they'll eventually leave you alone." May scoffed at her analogy but averted her gaze and sucked in a cheek.

"She's been giving me this intense death glare ever since I came out of chemistry class. I think her little gremlin told her about the project and how Drew and I got partnered." May twisted the ends of her brunette hair, a nervous habit that she had since she was a little girl. Her lips were stretched into a thin grimace and her sapphire eyes flashed with annoyance. Dawn was just glad that the brunette wasn't mad at them anymore and had decided to aim her anger somewhere else.

"Eh, ignore her. It's really not her problem or your fault that you and Drew got paired together. Besides, you've got better things to worry about," Dawn whispered into May's ear. The brunette perked a brow.

"Like?"

"Jogging four laps around the field," Dawn replied, laughing as May huffed but started to jog anyway.

* * *

As the rest of the day passed by in a flash, Dawn found herself back in the gymnasium where the whole crew was starting to work out the final designs and were starting to talk about the final arrangements for the dance. Set to be a few days before Halloween, there was still much to be done. Arrangements needed to be figured out and the DJ and caterers had to be called and informed. Seeing as she had nothing else to do, Dawn decided to take out her notepad and start to doodle.

May joined the meeting and was sitting with Marina watching Dawn bicker with Paul. Dawn had attempted to strike up another conversation with the purple haired demon and he had told her off causing her to erupt in anger. May laughed as Dawn hunched over a bit and poked Paul straight in the chest, her eyes blazing and her fists tight. Her notepad and pencil were discarded on the ground and the two were almost nose-to-nose. Marina turned to the brunette.

"You should really see them when you're not around. On a normal day, they actually appear to act like normal human beings," Marina smiled gleefully, pleased to see the brunette react the way that she originally had when she saw the arguing duo. May smiled to herself as she watched Dawn almost transform into a different person. "Uh oh, I see those little wheels turning in your head you sly fox. What are you planning to do?" May openly laughed.

"No, I'm not scheming anything, not yet anyway," she laughed again. "I'm just watching how Dawn becomes a totally different person around Paul. First she's shy and then she slowly warms up and becomes this huge ball of fiery rage. It's quite comical actually."

"Reminds me of someone else I know," the blue haired girl commented quietly. May was about to respond when she caught a pair of green eyes and couldn't help but stare. Marina followed her gaze and smirked, her point thoroughly proven as she watched Drew stick out his tongue at her and May puffed her cheeks in response. "I have to go confer the final designs and such with Dawn. You have fun doing whatever," Marina laughed as she got up and saw Drew making his way to her. May waved briefly to Marina and braced herself for a dose of teasing from Drew. No matter how close they were, teasing was part of their routine and no matter how she felt, she usually cherished these moments as something special.

"Well, well, well, it looks like the boss bird finally flew in to see how things are going," Drew joked and May rolled her eyes, nudging his shoulder.

"What are you doing here Drew? Last time I checked, you were never interested in these sort of things," May replied, smirking as his face fell a little and he glared at her.

"It was either come here or be subjected to walking Holly home from school. She caught me leaving history class and I had to make an excuse not to hang out with her. I swear, she's worse than a Litwick who's trying to steal your soul!" Drew replied, his face contorting into a frown. May pouted a tiny bit.

"Oh, so now I'm a last resort? A second choice?" she asked, half serious half joking. Drew's eyes widened but couldn't say anything, and May couldn't help but chuckle. "While you try to figure out an appropriate response, I'm going to go help Dawn with her designs. Later grasshead."

"Later Princess," Drew spit back almost instantly causing May to roll her eyes. She repressed a smile as she walked over to her blue haired best friend who was currently playing around with the arrangement of the refreshment tables and the DJ station. Dawn looked up as she heard May approach her and smiled, waving her notebook in the air and shooting the brunette a smile.

"I see you got something," May grinned. Dawn handed her the notebook with a satisfied nod and May nodded her approval. "This looks good. Now all we need to do is make sure that the food is actually going to get here. Did anyone call the caterers?" May called out and a small freshman raised her hand. "Oh thank Arceus. I was beginning to think that I would have to do this all by myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to talk to the spirit club about pep rallies. Argh, when will this all end?" May laughed as she squeezed Dawn's shoulder then walked out of the gym.

It was Paul who approached her again with his headphones plugged in his ears and a painted black cat in his hand. Dawn perked a brow and turned back to her sketch pad. He cleared his throat and Dawn looked up again, a slight frown on her face. "Can I help you?" Dawn asked and Paul rolled his onyx eyes, a grimace on his face.

"I'm done with this stupid think. Can I go home now?" he asked monotonously. Dawn sighed and carefully took the black cat from his hands and smiled softly. "I don't know if you're deaf Troublesome but I asked if I could go home. I'm done now and I've got homework to do!" Paul growled and Dawn looked up, snapped out of her reverie. Pink stained her cheeks and she meekly nodded and turned away from him without saying a single word. Paul actually looked guilty. "Uh...I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to know if I could uh, go home, you know." Paul awkwardly stumbled over his words, not really used to apologizing to people. Dawn looked at him with a soft smile.

"No, no, don't worry about it, I'm just being stupid is all," she gave a short laugh that sounded forced. Paul kept staring at her with his eyes giving Dawn the impression that they were all knowing. She plastered a smile on her face. "I'm fine, really. I promise, no need to worry!"

"That's when everyone worries the most," Paul looked skeptical and Dawn sighed, as she knew that Paul wasn't one to give up. She knew he was a tiny bit worried, seeing as how he indirectly implied that he was worried about her. She knew she had been acting strangely the entire day but she just couldn't help it. Times like these made her think about... "Dawn?" Paul using her actual name snapped her out of her daydream again and she sighed in frustration.

"I'm sorry I've been so out of it...all of this" she gestured at all the ornaments and props that were piled in the gym, "is reminding me of my childhood in Twinleaf. I don't know, I guess I just can't help but to, like, miss it and all. And it's really getting me down. But don't worry, I won't talk about this anymore, I mean I'm wasting your time already and I really don't want to do that..." Dawn rambled and Paul nearly snorted in amusement but managed to reign in his emotions in time.

"Is it weird, not spending Halloween with all your old friends?" Paul asked in a low tone. Once again, Dawn was surprised that he was actually talking to her but she managed to look nonchalant about it. Paul had this almost sincere kind of look on his face and Dawn couldn't help but get a wistful smile on her face, thinking about Kenny, Leona, and Barry, who were all back in Twinleaf Town, probably going costume shopping. They took their holidays, especially Halloween, very seriously.

"Yea, I guess it is. I mean, I've been with those guys for practically my whole life, you know? We've had all these traditions and it sucks to not be near them. But I'm also excited to create some new traditions here, with you guys," Dawn thoughtfully replied. Paul actually looked impressed.

"Yea, I know what you mean, believe it or not," he replied, smirking. Dawn perked a brow, a pout already forming on her face.

"Well, come on, tell me! You can't just leave it hanging there!" Dawn insisted. She quickly put down the black cat she was still holding and gathered her stuff. She pulled on her coat and beamed at Paul who was just standing there with no actual purpose. "I'll even walk home with you!" she smiled brightly. Paul sighed and put his fingers on the bridge of his nose as if having her walk with him was a tedious task.

"Alright, I guess I can allow you to be graced with my presence," Paul sighed and Dawn's mouth opened slightly, a bit shocked. "What? I can joke around too, you know." Dawn laughed behind closed lips and nodded to herself. It seemed that she was learning something new about him each and every day. The two of them walked out of the gym together, skillfully avoiding any glances or looks they got from their peers.

Dawn, remembering the purpose of why she actually left with Paul, turned to the purple haired boy himself. "Continue your story! You have me intrigued!" Paul looked disgruntled and Dawn looked down feeling guilty for pushing him. She of all people knew how hard it was to open up about your past life. That's why it surprised her when Paul began to talk once more and began to tell her about his life in the past.

"I was actually born in Veilstone City in the Sinnoh region. My mother and I moved here when I was about three years old but as you could probably tell, I hate people so I didn't talk to anyone until middle school. So I guess I know what it's like to be uprooted from your home and your town and all your friends. I didn't really have any friends, but my family would always have these silly traditions that we never have anymore. It's kind of sad in a sort of way," Paul's voice was low and quiet and trailed off at the end. Dawn nodded as the memories pushed their way to the front of her brain and a pit of overwhelming sadness exploded in her stomach and spread all over her body.

"I can see where you're coming from...it's funny, the moment you mention that, I can just imagine the looks on their faces and it makes me miss them so much more. But then again, I've lived in Twinleaf for almost my entire life so I guess I had more permanent roots down there." Dawn pushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she walked backwards while talking to Paul. She suddenly felt something catch her toe and Dawn was suddenly flying backwards with her arms flailing. As a reflex, Paul grabbed her waist and the feeling of hit hot hands on the bits of showing skin sent electric currents through her body. Unfortunately, the added weight caused by Dawn's bag caused both of them to fall backwards once again. Paul ended up almost lying on top of her, his arms bracketing either side of her head. Dawn swallowed, the prospect of breathing suddenly becoming hard as his head was deadly close near hers and the mere tilt of her head would result in an awkward brushing of their lips. Scarlet stained both of their cheeks and Paul scrambled, _scrambled_, to get off of Dawn. Dawn herself was attempting to gather her wits.

Neither wanted to talk about what just happened. They continued walking together but neither teen attempted to strike a conversation and an awkward and thick silence filled the air. Dawn was thankful when they finally reached Paul's house and she hastily bid goodbye to him. He nodded and made his way up his giant driveway. Dawn watched him, her heart still pounding as she walked up her own driveway and opened the door. Her mother looked at her with a worried expression as she walked up the stairs and didn't say a word. Dawn lay on her bed and covered her face with a pillow and groaned into it. Life totally wasn't fair...and she only had another nine months to go.

* * *

**Yea, I just _had_ to put that cliche scene of someone falling and the guy falling on top of them. Hey, it's cute and there's a reason it's cliche right? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this extremely short chapter and I hope you guys know that I don't usually like to post chapters shorter than 6,000 words but like I said before, I just really wanted to get a chapter out. Please don't be mad or stop reading this story because I might not post for a couple of weeks- it's just because I like people to like the quality of my work and not just being able to maintain a strict schedule like other authors on this site are. **

**Anyway, as usual, thanks so much for all of your reviews, favorites, and follows! They seriously mean the world to me and make me feel good about myself (no lie)! So I guess that's it...so I'll talk to you guys soon (hopefully)!**

**~Deepika**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, so I know I said I wouldn't update for a while due to exams (and they're actually in 2 days) but I just couldn't help it and I loved this chapter so much because I got to add a lot of really cute moments between all my characters. So anyway, I won't ramble too much because I have to get back to reading but I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. It was really fun describing the outfits even though I'm not the best at it. Speaking of costumes, pictures will be on the very bottom of my profile. **

**Now enough of my incessant rambling, and let's get on with this chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 11_

_.:._

"So let's talk costumes." May smiled brightly. The girls were all gathered on Dawn's bedroom floor. There were papers of sketches strewn around and different patches of fabrics scattered around the floor. Dawn grabbed her sketch pad and held it up, ready to jot down ideas. "So I was thinking we do an opening number of Monster High and then a main event show of Thriller by Michael Jackson. I think it would be majorly awesome!"

"You want us to go up there and sing twice? As in like...in front of the whole school?" Dawn asked in disbelief. May rolled her eyes at her friend.

"You guys, we are absolutely amazing! Separately, we're pretty good singers, if I do say so myself. But together, the five of us would be stellar! Out of this world crazy!" May exclaimed, flailing her arms to help make her point.

"But the costumes would be so different. There are girly monsters in the Monster High song but there are legit scary people in the Thriller video. What do you propose we do about that?" Aisha challenged. She didn't mind getting dressed up and singing (though she knew she wasn't the best and there were definitely better singers out there) but she definitely didn't want to costume change in the middle of their school dance.

"We could probably layer stuff over each other. I mean, we can dress up like the Monster High girls and then change our face makeup before we perform Thriller. That could work, right?" Blaze asked. Misty nodded thoughtfully.

"Of course, we have to pick out who's going to be who." Misty muttered as she searched the computer for the characters. "Oh! They have a mermaid, I call the mermaid!" Misty exclaimed, causing the girls to laugh. "Oh come on, you know it was going to me anyway," Misty pouted.

"Oh... The Frankenstein girl looks super pretty!" Aisha breathed as she browsed through the photos. May and Dawn sucked in their cheeks simultaneously; a habit one had picked up from the other. "I think May would make a pretty Cleo de Nile. You can rock the hair and the outfit. And Dawn would really be suited for the vampire girl."

"Guess that leaves me as the werewolf girl. Not that I mind in any way," Blaze grinned. Dawn studied the pictures carefully and began sketching them. "So Sunshine, you think you can make costumes like these?" the orange haired girl asked. "Also, I think we're going to have to either dye our hair or at least temporarily dye it. Most of us just need streaks in our hair and I need to actually dye mine brown... But I think I'll go for a more orangey brown color."

"Guys, you know my parents will flip if they see me with dyed hair. They barely even want me going to this party anyway!" Aisha moaned, burying her face in her hands. "I hate my parents sometimes. They're so overbearing." May frowned at Aisha, not because of the parents comment, but because the black haired dancer had never mentioned much about her parents before.

"I could talk to them," May suggested and Aisha looked up, looking pretty close to tears and shook her head. "Oh Sha... I've never seen you this upset before! Are you sure you want to do this? We can always find another person to help us." Aisha grimaced.

"No thanks, I'll do it. I guess I'll just have to dye my hair and then crash at your place so I can wash it off before I go home," Aisha weakly suggested. May wrapped an arm around her while Dawn did the same from the other side. "You guys are too sweet!" Aisha laughed and sniffled, wiping the tears that had formed in the corners of her almond shaped eyes. Blaze met Aisha's hazel eyes with her own sea green eyes.

"Let's get back to talking about costumes. How's it going over there Sunshine?" Blaze asked, her voice obviously trying to convey levity when it was anything but. Dawn smiled brightly, going along with her attempts of trying to achieve some kind of norm.

"This should be doable and I might be done by mid October if that's ok with you guys?" Dawn asked, still nervous of how her friends would perceive her no matter how many times they reassured her that they loved her and wouldn't judge her. May grinned and held out her hands expectantly. Dawn perked a brow and May pouted and scrunched her lips together. "Oh, you want my drawings now do you?" Dawn teasingly asked and May rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"No need for such sass, Dawn," May grinned as she took the book a little forcefully, eager to see Dawn's interpretation of the costumes. "As usual, these are amazing!" the brunette exclaimed while flipping through the different pages that Dawn had started to sketch the inspired outfits. "Now if only we can get all of this stuff together in time..."

* * *

"Oh my Arceus, I can't believe I let you guys talk me into this," Dawn gasped, nearly hyperventilating. Her hair was currently being spray painted pink and being put into two pigtails. She was putting in fangs along with the makeup that Darculaura was wearing. She had on a glittery purple long sleeved shirt that had a bright pink button-down vest covering it. Dawn had devised a ruffled collar that May had stitched and put the appropriate designs on. She had knee-high high-heeled pink laced up boots over her mauve leggings and white puffed out skirt. Along with bright pink lips, her finishing touch was the signature pink heart right under her right hair. Dawn had on knee high high-heeled platform boots with laces going up along the entire front. There was a maroon lace that crisscrossed on the front of the shoe and went around to the bottom.

"Would you calm down? You look amazing! Best looking Draculaura I've seen." May chastised the brunette when she stepped out of the closet. May herself was looking like a true queen as she stepped out in the Cleo de Nile outfit that Dawn had designed for her. Her hair had been through chemical torture with the copious amounts of moose and other hair products that had been used in order to achieve her volumized hair, not to mention the insane amount of extensions used on her hair. She wore a baby blue wispy sleeveless shirt that was crossed over her chest and cut down the middle to reveal a little gold undergarment. She wore golden leggings that ended mid-knee and the girls had wrapped a few pieces of gold spray painted gauze and wrapped it around her leggings in order to give the effect of her being a mummy. She had a gold choker necklace solely around her neck and two matching golden armbands. She had giant golden earrings that almost reached her shoulder. Her eye makeup was a sultry smoky purple with loads of mascara. Her shoes were an almost continuation of her leggings, made to look like that she was still completely a mummy. May's shoes were giant wedges that contained the same gold gauze crisscrossing all over her feet and then going up a bit past her ankles.

"Today's the day our Princess truly turns into a queen," Blaze joked around as she came out of the bathroom with her costume on and her hair and makeup done. Unlike Clawdeen wolf, Blaze's hair was more of a deep orangey brown color rather than pure chocolate brown. She wore extensions as well that were all curled and had little brown wolf ears sticking out. She wore a black jacket with purple fur on it over a bright pink and black tube top. She wore a short purple skirt that revealed black fishnet underlining tulle with a black with white polka dots belt. Knee high peachy pink stockings poked out of knee high open toed wedges that had buckles going down the entire length of her side. For jewelry, Blaze wore a choker necklace that matched her belt and then a longer gold chain with a giant pendant. Her face makeup consisted of burgundy red lips and purple eye shadow.

"Damn Blaze, you look good," May grinned as she touched up her face. "Misty, you done yet?"

"Nearly May! Arceus, just give me a moment!" the redhead could be heard shouting from inside of the bathroom. Dawn laughed as she surveyed herself in front of the mirror. She never imagined dressing up like this during Halloween, not that she was complaining, but she had never taken her costumes this far before. It was a change that was unexpected but welcome.

Misty stepped out and everyone gasped as they took notice of what she was wearing. The redhead had lightened her hair a bit and added some blue clip-on highlights. She wore a beanie that resembled fish scales with little fins poking out of the sides. She also had a pink lily on the front of the beanie. Misty's outfit consisted of a black jacket with fish scale details where the coat approached her chest and the ends of the three quartered sleeves were the same blue with fins poking out of them. Under the jacket, Misty wore a bright pink tube top that revealed a bit of her midriff and had the same kind of fish scale detail. Black shorts that had blue fish-detailed hemming were paired with fishnet stockings. Misty had applied a blue tinted glitter all over her body so whenever she stepped into the light it would reflect off of the random sparkles and literally make her shine. On the side of her calves, she had attached two fins and then wore open toed black wedges with black and white stripes on the bottom front of her shoes. She sported bright pink lips that was paired with purple eye shadow and thick black lashes.

"Misty, you look absolutely amazing! Choosing you to be Lagoona Blue was possibly the best fashion decision I have ever made. " May gasped. Blaze and Dawn nodded in agreement as Misty blushed. Blaze smirked at her fellow redhead.

"A true goddess of the sea is more like it. You make a beautiful mermaid. Can't wait to see Gary's reaction when he sees you!" Blaze wickedly grinned as Misty blushed once more. "Not even denying it anymore are we?" Misty shook her head at her friend but said nothing as May giggled. Because Aisha was helping everyone with their makeup, she was the last one to get ready. When she stepped out, all the Eeveeite girls knew that the wait had been worth it.

"So guys, what do you think?" Aisha grinned at her own handy-work as she assessed herself in front of the full length mirror that May had. Aisha's usually meticulous black hair had been dyed with streaks of silver that surprisingly suited the tanned half-Indian. Her outfit consisted of a short navy blue plaid dress with a pale pink Peter Pan like collar and black and white polka dotted tie. The bottom of the dress lifted up a little to reveal the black fishnet gauze underlining. The sleeves were poofed up at the shoulder and then tightened at her triceps. Aisha wore a black belt with two rows of white polka dots around her waist and had chains attached and hanging down from said belt. She wore black and white striped platform heels with straps at the ankle. Blaze had drawn on different stitchings around her body and Aisha had cleverly designed a necklace that contained the signature two bolts at the side of her neck. As for face makeup Aisha sported cherry red lips and pink-purple gradient eye makeup. "Dawn, you seriously came through with the costumes. I don't think they could have come out any better!"

"You make an amazing Frankie Stein Sha. Seriously, the guys are going to flip when they get a load of us," May grinned. The girls all had bags containing the makeup they were going to have to put on before their performance of Thriller. A change of clothes was also necessary for May, who had decided to be Michael Jackson.

Speak of the devil, as soon as May mentioned the boys, the doorbell rang and May grinned knowing that Drew and Gary had gotten all of the guys to at least get semi-dressed up. Her father opened up the door and let all the boys in. May was the first one to walk out of her room and down the stairs, silently reveling in the stares she was getting. A low whistle was heard from one of the boys and May rolled her eyes good naturedly. Grayson looked at his daughter with pride.

"The others should be out in a minute; last minute touchups and such," May nodded serenely. Drew silently surveyed her until the other emerging Eeveeite girls interrupted his intense focus. Dawn was the second one down and May could hardly suppress her grin when she heard Paul's silent intake of breath. Rocky and Byron lowly commented on Dawn's chosen apparel but made no complaints as did the rest of the boys. Each were silent and transfixed to the five drop-dead gorgeous girls. Misty was the third one out and judging by the look on Gary's face, the girls had done an amazing job on her. She saw the male Oak thickly swallow and inconspicuously let his gaze trail down her body.

"Where are Blaze and Aisha?" Gary asked, not even realizing that his father had left the children to their own devices, his black eyes still trained on the redheaded mermaid that was currently smirking at him. May nudged him a little and Gary startled, turning to glare at her. Rocky had a little smirk on his face.

"Too scared to come down?" his smirk broadened but was completely wiped off the moment the two girls arrived together. "_¡__Qué hermoso__!_" Rocky muttered under his breath. Byron couldn't even reply because he too had become speechless the moment he saw Blaze. However, Byron was the first one to snap out of his stupor and grin at the five beautiful ladies in front of him, each carrying their own bag full of clothes.

"You ladies ready? We have to get there early to make sure everything is set up right," the sandy haired boy commented. Blaze nodded and stepped forward to open the door. Aisha sighed softly as she noticed how each guy was transfixed to another girl except Rocky, who was looking at anyone but her. She quickly swallowed down the fear that was building up in her throat and she turned to the other guys.

"Did someone bring a car?" she asked and Gary grinned. Misty gave an unladylike snort.

"With the look on that face? I'm guessing that Gary's excited to show everyone his new car," Misty perked a brow with a half smile on her face which turned into a smirk when she saw Gary glare at her. "Well? What are we waiting for? I did not get dressed up like this for no reason!" The male Oak slung an arm around Misty, grinning broadly.

"I'm glad you study my face a lot Red, but let's not get too carried away," he wolfishly grinned. Misty rolled her eyes and pushed him off of her.

"Oh screw off," she huffed. She almost didn't realize that the others had left them and were currently bickering over who sat where. An adorable look appeared on Gary's face as he pouted and wrapped his arms around Misty's waist from behind. Misty's squeal turned into a laugh as Gary started to whine and apologize. "Come on Oak, you're the only one who can drive...though I'd rather not put my life in your hands."

"But I'd take good care of you," he muttered into her ear and Misty felt her cheeks flame up and the blush creeping up the back of her neck. She was half relieved and half disappointed when Gary let her go. She shook her head and walked out the door, Gary following her.

* * *

"Oh my Arceus, this looks amazing," May breathed as she entered the gymnasium. The ten friends had walked in and were instantly marveled by the transformation of the area. There were themes of orange and black: orange and black streamers hanging from the ceiling, orange and black balloons on the ground, orange and black decorations, and orange and black plates and utensils. Byron's DJ station was set up in the corner and there was a main stage to the right of it. On the far left and far right, there were rows of coffin lockers, all colored black, purple, and green. Cobwebs were artistically placed in the corners, some containing fake spiders that almost looked real.

"May, you literally helped to design this," Drew looked at the girl, an unreadable expression in the depths of his chartreuse eyes. May blushed, looking at him with an exasperated expression as the others went to go explore the gym and set up.

"I seriously could not have done this without Dawn and Marina's help. This is more than I could have ever imagined," May responded softly. It was the grass head's turn to give the brunette an exasperated expression. She would truly never know how much of an impact she made and how much he actually respected her. The modest brunette would never realize how much people looked up to her and Drew could almost admit to himself that he loved her for it. If asked, he would honestly say that he would be happy to remind May of how amazing she was.

"Whatever you say Maple, whatever you say. All in all, this looks incredible," Drew replied with a genuine smile. May bashfully grinned and softly nudged his shoulder before walking to the main stage to set up for the two numbers.

"Whipped." Gary coughed and Drew would have nearly jumped if he wasn't already so used to his best friend making random appearances like this. Gary's smirk broadened as Drew rolled his eyes, face morphed into an expression of nonchalance. "Oh dear Mew, you really are whipped. You're smiling and everything!" Gary dramatically moaned. Resisting the urge to punch him, Drew shook his head with a smirk of his own.

"You're one to talk," he grinned triumphantly as Gary stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at the grass head. "Don't think I didn't see you before we left... You and Mist that is. Before you tell me to stop acting so mushy, how about you practice what you preach?"

"Low blow Hayden, real low blow. I don't see how this pertains to you being head over heels in love with my sister," Gary argued weakly and Drew only chuckled in response.

"It's not my fault she's so amazing," he replied softly, causing Gary to startle in surprise. This must have been serious if Drew wasn't even going to deny anything. But then the male Oak's gaze softened as he realized how much both his sister and his best friend had changed over the years and how their relationship had morphed into something that constituted as more than 'just friends'.

"That she is Drew, that she is. I guess it doesn't help that she's drop dead gorgeous today does it?" the brunette muttered so quietly that Drew wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear it. A wistful look had appeared in Gary's coal eyes.

"Are we still talking about May?" the grasshead knowingly asked. Gary thickly swallowed and turned away, not denying anything, but not confirming anything either. Drew could only sigh as he realized the internal conflict probably going through his best friend right now. "Look, I'm not going to lecture you or anything about this but" Gary glared at him, "_but_ you should remember the way that you acted today when you saw her. I know that Leaf is gorgeous too and that you like her, but you should probably make a choice. I can honestly say that you are leading both of them on and if thinks keep going like this, you're going to end up hurting one or both of them."

"Oi! You two girls coming or what?" Blaze called from across the gym, groaning as Aisha nudged her in the ribs. "Ow! I really hate you sometimes, you know that?" Blaze glared at Aisha. The dancer could only grin back and bring Blaze into a much-protested hug.

"Aw, you know you love me!" she cooed and Blaze fake-gagged, pulling away from her vice grip of death. "But can't you see they're discussing something important?" Aisha reprimanded the girl in the werewolf costume. Blaze dramatically sighed and turned to the girl version of Frankenstein.

"Girl, they're never going to achieve anything by just standing there and chatting like a couple of Grandmas." Aisha bit down on her lip as an attempt to hide her smile but failed and just rolled her eyes.

"Blaze Malcolm, you are ridiculous!" Aisha laughed.

* * *

Dawn studied the gym with laser focus and sighed contently as she took in how amazing it looked. Paul looked at Dawn with a slightly annoyed look and narrowed his eyes as she beamed one of her 'sunshine smiles' at him. He internally groaned as he realized that she was going to try to talk to him. Noticing the slightly disgruntled look in his eyes, Dawn tried to suck in the hurt that came with the unspoken rejection and turned away. Marina, who had noticed her discomfort walked over to her.

"Dawn! We did an amazing job!" the blue haired girl grinned and Dawn couldn't help but grin back. Marina was dressed up like a zombie nurse and Jimmy was over by the food corner dressed up as a zombie doctor. Dawn opened her mouth but Marina interrupted her. "Don't you dare say that it's all thanks to me! You put in just as much work as me!"

"Oh Mar, you're making me blush!" Dawn giggled but it faded as she noticed Marina look over Dawn's shoulder at Paul's stoic expression. "Marina, don't even. It's fine," Dawn smiled weakly and Marina glared at Paul's turned back. "He didn't say anything."

"Well he obviously did something. That boy, I swear he needs a smack across the head sometimes!" Marina growled and Dawn snorted, shaking her head.

"Marina, it's not worth it; trust me. Anyway, so what's up with you? I heard you were going to sign up for Pokefest, I can't believe it's only two months away!" Dawn exclaimed. Time in LaRousse was going by quickly and she couldn't believe that she had lived in this crazy city for almost two months now.

"Oh Celebi, don't even remind me! I'm not ready at all! But back to this party... I'm stoked to see you and the girls perform. I'm pretty sure that's why half the people are coming to this party." Marina smirked.

"Sunshine, a little help here?" May called. She was currently struggling to drag a box in through the doors of the gym and the other guys were busy getting the other boxes. Dawn raised her hand as a way of saying that she was coming and bid a quick goodbye to Marina and ran over to the struggling brunette.

"Pretty sure that heels and man labor aren't a very good combination." Dawn commented and May narrowed her eyes and wiped a bit of sweat off of her forehead.

"Well thank you captain obvious. Now help me! The whole dance starts in an hour and we still have so much to do!"

"May, chill; we're doing just fine. There are just a couple of more decorations to set up and we're done. This gym looks fabulous and the whole school is going to love us." Dawn laughed. The grunts of Drew and Gary could be heard from the hallways that led up to the gym.

"May, where do you want this? It's heavy so hurry up and make a decision!" Gary moaned. May strutted over to her brother and his best friend and started instructing where things were going. A half an hour later, all the decorations were up and everyone was slightly tired but ready to finally rest before the dance started. Aisha was talking to Jimmy when Rocky approached her at the food table. Jimmy noticed him and flashed a quick smile to the dancer and quickly walked away. Aisha was about to call out when she realized why he had left in such a hurry.

"Hey Sha...you ok?" Rocky gently asked and Aisha gave him a confused look mixed with humor and amusement. "I mean, you're all alone, and you're just by the food table eating and usually you're with Blaze or one of the other girls so I just thought that you maybe were kind of getting lonely so I decided to come and talk to you?" Rocky rambled and Aisha could barely contain her laughter. No matter how much this boy annoyed her, he was ultimately sweet and she couldn't hold the rude things he said over him. Aisha put a hand on his shoulder to get him to stop talking. "I'm rambling, aren't I?" he asked.

Aisha giggled and Rocky flushed a bright red. "It's ok, I'm used to it by now," Aisha laughed silently. Rocky nodded thoughtfully and leaned back on the table. The black haired girl noticed the uncomfortable look on his face and gave him a sweet smile. "Rock, what's wrong?"

There was a strangely serious look in Rocky's eyes as he studied the girl in front of him. Aisha tried not to flush under his intense scrutiny and continued to smile at him. "I never got a chance to tell you how amazing you looked tonight," was all Rocky said and Aisha let out a breath that she didn't even realize that she was holding.

"Well you don't look too bad yourself Mr. Santos. Well, at least one half of you." Rocky had dressed up as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Half of him was Dr. Jekyll, which consisted of his normal face and a lab coat. Wrinkling zombie makeup and long wispy hair represented the Mr. Hyde side; he wore a white button down shirt with a maroon velvet buttoned vest over it and a black ruffled tie-like accessory around the collar. The other half of his coat was tattered and had holes in it. He wore black slacks and gray shoes along with a gray tattered top hat. Rocky's love for books was something that not everyone knew about. They just assumed that he was immature and stupid when in fact, he was quite intelligent and he loved the classics.

"I think I pulled off both sides just fine Ms. Evans. Now let's get you away from the food table and to the stage... I want to see you guys dance," he murmured in a low tone in her ear. Aisha gasped and blushed before gathering her wits and assaulting Rocky with a bunch of punches as he just threw his head back and laughed.

"Rockwell Santos! You are such a chauvinistic _pig_!" Aisha screeched, catching the attention of some people. To quiet her down, he pulled her in towards his chest and hugged her, effectively muffling all of her screams into his shirt. "You suck, holy Celebi you freaking suck!" she mumbled. The two of them probably looked odd at the moment but Rocky didn't mind at all. Blaze had spotted them and instantly felt guilty when she had to rip them apart, but people were starting to arrive and they had to perform soon. She waved to the brown haired boy and shrugged apologetically when he glared at her.

"Sha, your entourage is waiting for you," he murmured as he let her go. Aisha actually looked disappointed but she nodded and gave him a smile before scurrying over to her friends. He sighed and couldn't help but follow her with his eyes as she made her way across the gym and through the people who had just arrived. The lights were starting to dim and the gymnasium was starting to fill up so Rocky headed for the stage where he was going to MC and announce the different bands and people that were playing today. Byron had already started to play music and Drew the vampire and Gary the merman, which was really just a poor excuse to walk around shirtless (in Rocky's opinion), were chatting and flirting with the girls. Paul was already in the corner by the food stand along with Jimmy, who just loved food. "Well, let's get this party started."

* * *

**So there you have it, the little filler chapter. And yes, I am going to put in two performances; I was originally going to do Monster High but I feared that people would accuse me of copying Rolyn (one of the most amazing authors out there...check her out!) because my story is based off of her stories. Hopefully it's not coming across like that because the last thing I want to do is copy her. Besides, I think that this story is taking a twist of its own so I hope you guys understand why this may seem familiar. **

**Anyway, as always, thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! We actually passed 40 reviews...thank you so much! You guys literally make me feel amazing inside! Also, I don't expect another update for this story in a while so hopefully this will hold you over. That's it for now, so I guess I'll see you guys later!**

**~Deepika**

**P.S: May the 4th be with you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Long time no posting, but my exams (the biggest ones) are done and I've been working on this chapter for like, forever. Admittedly, the dance sequence for _Thriller_ was super hard to write but I think I managed to somehow make it work. As requested, I tried to write some cute moments between our favorite couples and I hope you approve. Also, don't mind the random mention of drugs and stuff. It'll all make sense soon!**

**On a side note...I just realized that we're almost at 50 reviews. You guys! I'm literally freaking out! Thank you so much to everyone who's sticking with this crazy journey of a story. And I hope you especially enjoy this longer chapter...you guys deserve it!**

**Now enough of my incessant rambling, and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 12_

_.:._

The gymnasium was absolutely buzzing in the matter of half an hour. People were scattered around everywhere dressed in every kind of costume known to man. Dawn peeked out from behind the curtains and quickly closed it back when she saw all the people. Suddenly feeling nauseous, she put a hand to her forehead and started to rub her temples, hoping to alleviate the pain. May noticed this and walked over to her.

"Dawn, you ok?" she gently asked. Dawn could only shake her head because she felt like her throat was constricted. She could barely croak out an adequate response. May grabbed her shoulders and massaged them a bit. "Aw, it'll be ok babe. Trust me; we're going to rock this house tonight. We look fabulous and our voices are pure ear sex when they come together. You are amazing Dawn, don't try to deny it. Look, you really made us come together. We were always pretty close but you really completed us and none of us would be this close without you. I guess what I'm trying to say is...don't worry about how things go tonight. We'll still love you either way."

"Big words for a simple minded person." a voice cut in. Dawn noticed May stiffen and plaster on a fake smile before turning to the unwanted interruption. "Aw look at you and your little costumes! You guys are so cute!" she giggled. It wasn't a nice giggle; it was one of those 'you're so stupid you're cute' kind of giggles.

"And yet here we are performing, and here you are in the background as always." May shot back, her eyes fiery and defiant. Holly flinched and glared. "Look, I understand that you may be jealous but it's seriously not cool to take it out on my friends."

"As if you have any friends! Donna, how much did she pay you to hang out with her? Don't be shy; tell me the truth." Holly turned to Dawn with a piercing gaze. Arceus, if looks could kill, she'd be dead seven times.

"First off, it's Dawn; my name is Dawn. And second off, you have absolutely no right to say these things to May. She worked hard to be where she is today and she does a heck of a lot more than you do. The funny thing is, is that May is actually liked, unlike you who decides to brainwash people into believing that we're bad people. Why don't you just go and take a hike?" All eyes were on the bluenette as she defended her friend and everything just kind of went silent. Holly's eye seemed to twitch and a strange look appeared in it.

"See, I was going to be nice to you...but now I feel like you've just set yourself up for hell. Have a nice night in the spotlight girls, it might be your last."

"Is something going on in here?" Drew suddenly appeared, propped up against the wooden pole, a fixed glare present on his face. Holly gave him a sweet smile and brushed her fingers over his chest and shoulder before sauntering out of the backstage area. May was fuming and Drew walked over to her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You ok April?" he asked softly. May took a deep breath and nodded, discomfort still in her eyes, a look that made Drew feel extremely uncomfortable. He didn't like it when his favorite brunette didn't smile.

"You go ahead Drew, I'm fine. Just get ready for a kickass performance," May half smirked at the grasshead in front of her. Drew snorted lightly and let go of her, making his way to the opening of the area that led to the gym.

"I'm looking forward to it Princess," Drew smirked and nodded once before walking out. Blaze, Aisha, Misty, and Dawn all waited until he was gone to squeal and sigh. May looked at her friends with a perplexed look on her face.

"May, if he wasn't into you before, it's hella obvious now!" Aisha squealed. May groaned and rolled her eyes, but there was a look on her face that said she really didn't mind what the girls were telling her.

"Oh Celebi, what in the world am I going to do with these people?" May groaned and laughed at the same time. Now get your butts into position; we're starting soon." Just as May finished her statement, the lights dimmed in the gymnasium and Rocky's voice could be heard through the microphone.

"Alright you guys, first off, happy Halloween! I think I speak on behalf of my friends and all the amazing people who worked hard to make this dance possible when I say that it means the world to us that you've decided to join us in a night of fun and awesomeness! Now, to kick off this little shindig, the amazing Eeveeite girls are going to officially welcome us...to Monster High..."

Dawn giggled high-pitched into the microphone. "_Haha, oh, you give me the chills_," she began. The curtains suddenly opened and the stage lit up with an array of Halloween themed colors. The music began to play as all five girls strutted to their designated spots. May was the first to sing and the rest of the lights suddenly turned off, leaving May to be the only one illuminated.

"_Walking down a darkened hallway...everybody turns to look at you. It's not because you're different, it's because you're so scary cool_." The light on May shut off and the light over Blaze turned on.

"_A sinister style, mystery with a smile. You're drop dead gorgeous_" Blaze sang and the girls echoed back "_drop dead gorgeous_". "_This school gives me the creeps, but when I'm with my peeps, you can't ignore us. This is where_"

"_THE GHOUL KIDS RULE!_" all the girls cried at the exact same time. All the spotlights were lit and the main chorus began.

"_Monster, Monster High, Monster High. Monster, Monster High! Come on don't be shy, Monster High! The party never dies!_" Aisha and May sang while rocking their hips, dancing the choreography with the other girls, Aisha in the middle.

"_Monster, Monster High. Monster, Monster High! Monster, Monster High! Freaky, chic, and fly, Monster High! Where the student bodies lie_..." Dawn, Misty, and Blaze sang the second part. Byron took the rap part.

"_Hey, Frankie Stein's got me falling apart,_" Aisha struck a pose and winked and blew a kiss. "_Oh, Draculaura's stealing my heart,_" Dawn giggled and winked and the other girls sighed and half-collapsed as if swooning. "_Clawdeen Wolf, you make me howl at the moon,_" Blaze grinned and howled loudly, causing some people to jump in surprise. "_Lagoona, you're the finest fish in this lagoon,_" Misty body rolled and chest pumped twice. "_Cleo De Nile, you're so beguile, even when you act so vile, ("uh huh" _cried the rest of the girls)_,_" May mimicked the Egyptian dance but added a few body rolls in for good measure. The guys in the crowd wolf whistled. "_And Byron's got that wicked style. These are my boos, my skeleton crew. A little strange, but so are you! Don't you wanna be a monster too?_"

"_Oh freaky just got fabulous, everybody just wants a piece of you. Best eyes, best smile, let's be realistic. Most characteristic, most hippin' horrific._" Misty sang, stepping up to the front.

"_A sinister style, mystery with a smile. You're drop dead gorgeous,_" Aisha sang and the other girls echoed back.

"_This school gives me the creeps, but when I'm with my peeps, you can't ignore us. This is where_" Dawn sang.

"_THE GHOUL KIDS RULE!_" a cannon full of confetti on either sides of the stage exploded, sending hundreds of little pieces of orange and black paper everywhere, sending the students into a frenzy as they all danced along to the catchy beat of the song.

"_Monster, Monster High. Monster High. Monster, Monster High! Come on don't be shy, Monster High! The party never dies!_" Dawn, Misty, and Blaze sang, harmonizing perfectly. The girls grabbed each other's shoulders and turned to the right, dancing. As the sang, they turned their heads to look at the crowd.

"_Monster, Monster High. Monster, Monster High! Monster, Monster High! Freaky, chic, and fly, Monster High! Where the student bodies lie..._" May and Aisha picked up where the other three girls left off. After the main chorus, each girl did a body roll down the line. Then they suddenly broke off and formed two rows with May and Dawn in the front and the other three girls in the back.

"_M-O-N-S-T-E-R! Monsters, monsters, so bizarre!_ _M-O-N-S-T-E-R! Monsters, monsters, yes we are!_" All five girls chanted.

"_Monster, monster high! Monster high! Monster, monster high. Come on, don't be shy, Monster high! The party never dies!_" May and Dawn began to sing the chorus as Misty, Blaze, and Aisha continued to cheer in the background.

"_Monster, Monster High. Monster, Monster High! Monster, Monster High! Freaky, chic, and fly, Monster High! Where the student bodies lie!_"

"_We've got spirits yes we do! We've got spirits, how 'bout you?_" Misty, Blaze, and Aisha chanted as Dawn and May sang the chorus. Then all girls began to chant.

"_We've got spirits, yes we do! We've got spirits, how 'bout you?_" The five girls faced backwards and turned to point forwards. The music kept playing and the school bell rang. Dawn giggled into the microphone again as everyone scattered and started running every which way. She acted nervous as she realized she was the only on stage. She looked both ways nervously, blew a kiss, and then ran off the stage.

The gymnasium erupted in cheers and the Eeveeite girls came back on stage and bowed. Giddy with adrenaline, the five friends giggled back stage, all of them glistening with sweat. Dawn grinned and hugged everyone (much to Blaze and Misty's chagrin), all of them still thrumming with energy. May looked at her friends, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Does anyone regret doing that? Now aren't you glad we did this?" May asked and Misty rolled her eyes, punching May in the shoulder. The brunette winced in response but took this as a sign of victory. "We were amazing! Come on, let's go outside now," May suddenly said. The five best friends trooped down the stairs and were met with the faces of four smirking guys and one stoic guy. Perking a brow, May pushed her way through her guy friends and casually strutted over to the food table. Rolling their eyes, Blaze and Aisha exchanged looks. Blaze made her way to Byron, who was still mixing music while Aisha made her way to a table to eat with Rocky trailing behind her. Drew decided not to third-wheel his friends and quickly found May. As the only two friends left alone, Misty wasn't surprised when Gary wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Look at you, coordinating with my costume. Or is this just some poor excuse to walk around school with your shirt off?" Misty murmured. Gary blushed but smirked nevertheless. His smoky black eyes sparkled with mirth.

"May told me which girl was what character. Although yours wasn't very hard to guess, was it now Miss Mermaid?" Gary grinned. "Now tell me Ms. Waterflower, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Misty rolled her eyes but had a smile on her face which slowly faded when she saw an approaching figure. Gary was confused as to why the redhead had stiffened and quickly extricated herself from his arms until he too saw the person.

Leaf Hana was walking towards them, looking like a goddess with her costume. She had decided to dress up as a forest nymph and had green wispy clothes and a leaf wreath on her head. The brunette looked absolutely gorgeous and Misty suddenly felt inadequate with her costume. She swallowed thickly as the stunning girl approached the two of them. Gary felt slightly nervous as the temperature suddenly felt like it had gotten ten degrees cooler.

"Hey you two!" Misty resisted the urge to cringe at her voice. Curse that girl for being such a goody-goody. "You two look so good! Coordinated costumes?" Leaf asked. Misty could have sworn that there was a tinge of jealousy in the brunette's voice. Misty's heart dropped when she heard Gary's answer.

"Nah, just a funny coincidence. Say, you want to dance?" Gary asked and Misty could almost feel her jaw drop. He had been asking _her_ to dance, not even five minutes ago! She mentally berated herself for even thinking that someone like Gary could even like her. She knew he thought of her like his younger sister, and that was all she would ever be. She was so engrossed in her mental self-scolding that she had completely missed the exchange between the two. "Mist?"

Misty was snapped out of her thoughts and looked up slightly startled. "Huh?" Misty asked, cheeks heating up as she felt extremely stupid in front of the two people.

"I was just asking if it's ok if Leaf and I dance," Gary said slowly. There was a look in his eyes that Misty had never seen before and she could already feel her heart slightly crack. Misty felt blood rush to her ears and nodded, though her motions looked slightly jerky. Sometimes it sucked to be in love with one of her best friends.

"Yeah," she swallowed. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead," Misty smiled, what she hoped was genuine enough, and slightly distanced herself from Gary, who looked slightly confused at her behavior, though he said nothing. "I was just going to eat something anyway," she laughed to herself and quickly walked away from Gary and Leaf. The redhead was about to approach May but noticed the brunette and Drew talking and laughing. Misty couldn't help but be happy for her best friend; she wasn't about to go and ruin the moment. Looking around, she noticed that all her friends were with the guys and a sense of loneliness spread all over her body.

Misty tried to look cool and collected as she grabbed her bag and her jacket and made her way outside. It sucked being in love, it sucked not having anyone to talk to about it, and it sucked always having to make sacrifices for other people in her life. For once, she wished someone would consider _her_ feelings and _her_ happiness and least show her that they cared by doing something nice for her. Her dex beeped and Misty saw a message from her sisters saying that they wouldn't be home for a few days and that there was food in the fridge. Groaning loudly and throwing her head back, Misty realized she didn't have a ride home unless one of the guys were willing to drive her.

The cold October wind bit her skin through her jacket and Misty tried to remember why she had decided to come outside of all places. She shivered a bit and pulled her jacket on tighter, the wind and the overwhelming emotions causing her eyes to well up. She sniffled a bit and groaned yet again, running her fingers through her hair.

"You shouldn't be out here, you know." Misty startled at the sudden interruption and released a small breath of relief that she didn't know she was holding in. Calvin Wallace was standing next to the bench that Misty was currently occupying. The little relief that embodied Misty disappeared when she realized who she was talking to.

"Hello Cal. Shouldn't you be doing drugs instead of talking to little old me? I'm not even worth it," Misty glared at the boy. Cal smirked and shook his head, plopping down next to Misty. "You know, most would take that as 'leave me the hell alone' and just walk away."

"But it's not fun doing things like these all alone," Cal smirked yet again, leaning closer to the redhead. Misty cringed and leaned back, feeling extremely uncomfortable with how close he was. "You should totally join me one of these days."

"Go to hell Calvin," Misty spat.

* * *

Dawn and Paul were at the table, awkwardly sitting across from each other. Pretty soon, Dawn would have to go backstage once more and get ready for their second song but she decided to eat and consume something so she wouldn't pass out on stage. Paul noticed how antsy she was getting and sighed loudly.

"Troublesome, I wish you would just stop freaking out. You're doing it for no reason and it's really annoying," he groaned and Dawn glared at him. "God, you're worthless sometimes, you know that?"

"Oh gee, thanks Paul. Why don't you go spread your sunshine somewhere else?" she drawled sardonically, rolling her eyes. Paul stared at her for a good moment, causing Dawn to shift uncomfortably and look down. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked softly. Paul's eyes seemed to harden once more.

"No reason," he gruffly replied, looking at his drink in a surly manner. Dawn sighed and looked up to Paul with a slightly serious look on her face.

"Paul? Why are you so closed off with everyone?" Dawn asked softly. The purple haired boy's head shot up and immediately glared at her, causing her to slightly flinch but nevertheless stand her ground. "I'm being serious, what is with you? I've been nothing but nice to you and you do nothing but shut me out."

"Just drop it Troublesome," Paul grit his teeth. Dawn protested and Paul growled. "I said drop it Dawn!" he snarled, eliciting a squeak from Dawn who looked down ashamed. Paul groaned and sighed as he ran his fingers through his long purple hair. "I'm sorry. But it's best if you don't get to know me. I like to be alone."

"Well, I don't- I think it makes for a sad existence. I wish you'd just let me be your friend. Life is always better with someone to share your experiences with," Dawn stated. Paul looked away, clearly uncomfortable.

"I don't do friends. I like to be alone," he asserted. Dawn gave him a look that made him swallow and shift in his seat. Her normally bright eyes were uncharacteristically dark and serious. She was adamant about this. Slinging her hair across her shoulder, she crossed her arms and leaned back on her seat, her gaze fixated on the boy in front of her.

"Then I'll be alone with you. You know I just won't drop this, so don't even try to make any arguments about this. You need someone to hang out with and clearly the guys aren't cutting it for you," Dawn narrowed her eyes. Paul sighed and shook his head.

"I guess I can't really get rid of you, can I?" Paul exhaled, annoyed. Dawn beamed and shook her head. Paul averted his gaze and turned away. Dawn clasped her hands and leaned forward so her hands were resting on the table.

"Then as my first friend duty, I'm going to ask you very nicely to tell me what's bothering you. You're acting even moodier than you usually act and I'm assuming something happened. So tell me."

All Paul could do was glare at the bluenette sitting across from him. It didn't help that at that moment, she looked absolutely innocent and so easy to talk to at that very moment. He exhaled irritably but still Dawn persisted, not willing to let it go. Paul looked away and then looked back, making sure his answer was as vague as possible.

"It's my brother's birthday," was all he said. Dawn nodded confusedly and leaned back once more trying to make sense of his words. "That's all I'm saying you know." Paul narrowed his eyes at her and leaned back as well, mirroring the bluenette's posture. Dawn contemplated something but then a full- fledged smile blossomed on her face.

"Well, thank you for telling me that. I hope that one day you'll trust me enough to tell me the full story but I guess this is good for now," Dawn nodded. Paul bit the inside of his cheek and was attempting to think of something to say to her when May hurried over with an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have to go and start to get ready. Dawn, have you seen Misty? I can't seem to find her anywhere!" May blurted out all in one breath. Drew was nonchalantly trailing behind the brunette and had just reached them in time to hear May freak out.

"Chill Maple, we'll find her. How about I get the rest of the girls backstage while you and Dawn go and look for her?" Drew suggested, already ushering May and Dawn away from him and Paul. May could only nod as she frantically scanned the room for any sign of vibrant orange hair. However, her eyes caught something else and her gaze hardened a bit.

"May? Something wrong?" Dawn asked quietly, leaning over to whisper into May's ear. Dawn followed May's gaze to see Gary and Leaf wrapped up in each other and dancing. Wincing, the two girls realized why Misty had decided to pull a disappearing act all of a sudden. "Oh my Arceus, gosh your brother sometimes..."

"Don't I know it!" May groaned. The two girls rushed outside somehow knowing that was where their friend would be. The cold October wind nipped their skin; it wasn't a very bright idea to come out into the cold with just skimpy outfits on. They turned around the corner and approached the bench where they saw Misty talking to someone. Quickening their pace, they made it just in time to hear Misty's harsh words to her companion on the bench.

"Look, I may be lonely, but I will _never_ stoop to your level," Misty hissed. May's eyes narrowed and she realized who was talking to Misty. As if sensing May's presence, Misty turned around, nearly jumping in surprise when she saw the two girls so close to her.

"Hi Cal, mind if we steal Misty for a while?" May asked sweetly, but there was an undertone of malice and unfriendliness in her tone. Cal just lazily smirked and waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. He looked infuriatingly cocky.

"My apologies Princess, please forgive me for stealing your friend. I just wanted some company is all," Cal pouted, a fake-hurt look in his eyes. May rolled her sapphire orbs and grabbed Misty's arms, effectively pulling her away from the boy she disliked so much.

"What was he telling you Mist?" Dawn asked as the three girls walked back inside. Misty's eyes were full of sadness as she turned to them and shook her head. "I'm sorry about you-know-who and you-know-who," Dawn cracked a smile. Misty resisted the urge to laugh but her lips twitched and Dawn knew she had done her job right.

"Don't worry about it; I should have seen it coming," Misty laughed as they entered the backstage area. May growled and wrapped an arm around Misty's shoulders, obviously pissed at what her brother was doing. "May...don't even worry about it."

"No, my brother is going to pay for what he's doing to my best friend. And when we get home, we're going to bake our little butts off!" the brunette exclaimed. Dawn bit her lip to stop laughing and Misty rolled her eyes but leaned her head gently on May's shoulder.

"Oh stop, no amount of baking is going to help. Besides, I'm acting like some frilly and lovesick school girl- that is so not like me. Just leave it alone, please?" Misty begged and May sighed. Blaze and Aisha were impatiently waiting for the other three girls, their new makeup already done and costumes had been changed. Blaze nearly charged at them, had she not been held back by Aisha.

"Where have you guys been? You were the ones yelling at us for punctuality!" the redhead whined. May sighed and shook her head, not wanting to talk about it. Aisha, ever the amazing friend, had noticed this and hushed Blaze.

"Whatever happened...I'm sorry," she offered, already helping them get undressed. May's was the hardest costume to take off, mostly because of the gauze and chunky jewelry. Misty sighed loudly and groaned, knowing she wouldn't get away without the other girls knowing. Dawn saved the redhead the job of telling them.

"Blame Gary and Leaf, that's all I have to say," Dawn huffed. Both girls made small noises of understanding and Blaze cracked her knuckles menacingly. Misty groaned again.

"Guys, just leave it. And to be honest, I've never seen Gary look at someone like that before, like, never, in my many years of knowing him. He really likes her and I'm not coming in the way just because I may or may not like him." Blaze coughed something that strangely sounded like 'whipped' but Misty growled threateningly.

"Ok, ok, dropping it, dropping it. Now who's excited to scare some people?" Blaze grinned manically. May deadpanned, looking at the scary orange haired girl with a scared expression. "May!" the girl whined. "I promise not to give anyone a heart attack!"

"I really don't trust you right now," May seriously said and Blaze narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at the brunette Princess. "Ah! You guys...you look awesome! And scary...but still awesome. You guys look scary awesome!" she yelled, garnering the attention of the backstage crew, causing the other four Eeveeites to snicker at the eccentric brunette.

All of the girls, excluding May, were dressed in tattered dresses that were purposely made to look dusty and old. Their skin was a dull green hue and they were all dressed in different outfits. They were actually getting the help of all of the dance coordinators who had eagerly signed up to join them in performing Michael Jackson's biggest hits. May was dressed as Michael Jackson but would hurry backstage where she would become zombie MJ and join with dancing. Rocky hurried backstage knowing that they would be performing soon.

"All right _chicos_ are all the microphones ready?" Rocky asked as he hurried around to each person, tapping their wireless and cordless mikes to make sure they were working. Aisha cocked a brow in amusement as the mop-haired boy looked absolutely frantic as he checked her microphone and couldn't help but snort. Rocky glared at her.

"Rock, you should seriously calm down before you blow a fuse or something," she grinned. Rocky rolled his eyes at the black haired girl who just smirked even harder. People were getting into positions and weren't paying attention to their little exchange much to the two of them.

"You're one to talk miss-I'm-always-on-a-fuse Evans. Looks like the roles got switched for today," he laughed. Aisha gave him a small grin, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of actually making her laugh. Rocky just gave her an amused glance, not believing her for a second. "Testing, testing, 1,2,3" Rocky tapped the mike once again and the black haired girl swatted his hand away.

"Rocks? It's ok, I think my microphone is working," Aisha grinned, looking extremely close to laughing. Blushing, Rocky stepped away from her and ran his fingers through his mop of light brown hair. A loud voice interrupted them.

"Oi you two! Stop making love eyes at each other and actually help!" came the annoying voice of one Blaze Malcolm who was standing there in her zombie garb, tapping her foot impatiently and crossing her arms. Aisha flushed and winked at Rocky before running to her best friend, leaving the brown haired boy quite flustered himself.

"Blaze, I swear! You are _so_ embarrassing!" Aisha moaned and Blaze smirked, clearly proud of her handy work at breaking the two up. "Oh Mew, don't give me that look! You're the worst!" Aisha pouted but couldn't help but smile and laugh at her friend. "Now let's get our scare on!"

"Sha, that was terrible; I'm so disappointed in you. Didn't I teach you any better?" Blaze pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. The black haired girl nudged Blaze and shrugged apologetically.

"It sounded better in my head," she reasoned and Blaze shook her head. "But in all seriousness, we should go. We're about to start!"

"Hey guys, are y'all having a good time? Let me hear you scream!" Byron said, which was a segway into their performance. Everyone in the crowd jumped and screamed and May appeared on stage as the lights dimmed and the music started.

"_It's close to midnight, something evil's lurkin' in the dark...under the moonlight, you'll see a light that almost stops your heart..._" May sang and people began to move a little, dancing to the beat. "_You try to scream...but terror takes the sound before you make it! You start to freeze, as horror looks you right between the eyes...you're paralyzed!_"

"_You hear the door slam, and realize there's nowhere left to run_," the crowd cheered as blue haired Marina came to sing, all decked out in her surprisingly gorgeous zombie garb. The two girls were dressed similarly though Marina was taller in stature. "_You feel the cold hand, and wonder if you'll ever see the sun..._"

"_You close your eyes, and hope that this is just imagination,_" May and Marina harmonized as they danced around each other and acted like zombies, throwing winks and flirty smiles into the crowd.

"_Girl, but all the while,_" Marina sang and May followed.

"_You hear a creature creepin' up behind,_"

"_You're out of time!_" they sang together. The lights suddenly went out and people began to scream as random hands touched their shoulders. The lights turned on, though extremely dim, and it could be seen that May and Marina had disappeared and the Eeveeite girls along with all of the other Halloween dance coordinators that had dressed as zombies were slowly assembling. Byron covered the evil scary voice in a low baritone with a faux British accent.

"_Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood. To terrorize y'all's neighborhood. And those whoever shall be found without the soul for getting down, must stand and face the hounds of hell and rot inside a corpse's shell. The foulest stench's in the air, the funk of forty thousand years, and grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom. And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver! For no mere mortal can resist...the evil of the_ _thriller!_" Byron ended his rap speech with an evil laugh and the lights went off again only to turn on again and reveal a group of scary zombies that had formed an almost pyramid shape with zombie May in the middle of the floor where there was a carved path. Although the actual outfit was the same, May's outfit was now tattered and looked like she had just emerged from the dead. Everyone looked absolutely frightening and people actually jumped as they came closer and closer.

True to the music video, May and her friends began the coordinated dance sequence that took place with the zombies and Michael Jackson. Their movements were stiff and jerky but still looked flawless and beautiful thanks to the hard work of one Aisha Evans. People cheered as all the girls and guys were in complete synchronization. The whole student body couldn't help but laugh as May attempted to recreate the MJ pelvic thrusts.

The adrenaline was pumping through Dawn's veins. Although she wasn't the center of attention, she could feel everyone's stares directed at her. It was quite comical because Paul was in the corner, trying hard not to pay attention to what was going on but failing and Dawn was trying her best not to pay any attention to the judgmental stare of the purple haired boy. Dawn quickly averted her gaze and focused as she danced forward, as was Misty, Aisha, and Blaze, meeting May in the front of the pack though they were a bit behind her. They finished the dance sequence and Dawn grinned as they began to sing again, finally feeing free and confident.

"'_Cause this is thriller! Thriller night! And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike! You know it's thriller! Thriller night! You're fighting for your life inside a killer. Thriller. Tonight. Yea!_" All five girls sang together, somehow managing to harmonize though May's voice was the prominent voice that could be heard. "_'Cause this the thriller! Thriller night! Girl I can thrill you more than any ghost would ever dare to try!_"

"_Thriller, thriller night!_" Dawn, Blaze, Aisha, and Misty sang. May continued to sing the main chorus.

"_So let me hold you tight and share a-_"

_Killer, thriller!_" the four other girls sang as they continued to do the famous Thriller dance.

"_I'm gonna get you tonight!_" the lights went out when the music stopped and then there was another evil laugh. Everyone cheered as the lights came back on normally and the performers took a bow, proud and thrilled of their performance. Dawn couldn't stop smiling even when they were backstage and taking off their makeup. May was getting congratulations from everyone and had begun taking off her terrifying zombie makeup.

"Guys, that was absolutely amazing! We all did so good!" she squealed as she came out of the bathroom looking normal again. She had kept the Michael Jackson clothes on but had opted for no makeup except for some eyeliner on her waterline.

"Hey Princess, you look normal again!" Gary Oak grinned but it faltered when he noticed the look she was giving him. "What's wrong May?" he asked, completely confused as to why his sister looked like she wanted to murder him right now. May sighed and busied herself with fixing her clothes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked and now Gary was really worried because she never really talked to him like this. Crossing his arms defensively, the male Oak perked his eyebrow, getting more and more frustrated with his little sister.

"I came to see all of you and congratulate you on a job well done. Listen, is something seriously bothering you? You're never usually this snappy?"

"She's fine," Misty's trite answer struck a cord in Gary's chest. Yes, she was talking to him but it seemed to be colder than usual- a tone he hadn't heard in many years. The redhead noticed this as well and flinched, attempting to calm herself down. "We were just leaving to go dance, weren't we May?" the youngest Waterflower grit her teeth and gave the female brunette a meaningful look that didn't escape Gary's attention. In fact, all of the Eeveeite girls were acting strange around him right now and he didn't know why.

May seemed to take pity on him and gave him a small smile and a peck on the cheek. "Don't mind us, just got some drama going on," she shrugged and Blaze coughed something that though Gary couldn't understand, May certainly did, and she turned to glare at the now orangey-brown haired girl. Blaze smirked as she strutted past them, still dressed like a zombie but with less scary-looking makeup.

"No, no, don't mind me. I'm just watching this whole thing go to hell," she smiled faux-sweetly and Gary couldn't help but shudder at the murderous thoughts that were probably going through her mind at this moment. Misty groaned and literally dragged Gary from backstage by his arm.

"Seriously, don't mind them; they're just being stupid," Misty growled as she rolled her eyes. Gary stumbled as he tried to keep up with her angry fast paced walking that was getting the attention from their classmates.

"Uh...Red? Do you maybe want to let go of me?" Gary asked. A strange look passed through Misty's eyes as she let go of him like she had been burned. Not one to let things go, Gary turned to one of his best friends and held her in place by her shoulders. She physically flinched but pretended it never happened and gave him a weak smile. "Is something wrong Mist?"

"No! Nothing's wrong! I wish everyone would just stop asking me that!" Misty growled and she wriggled out of Gary's grip angrily. The brunette didn't look convinced.

"Come on, I'm one of your best friends! I know you well enough to know that something is bothering you right now! You should know you could talk to me by now!" Gary tried to reason with her but it was like convincing a mule to nudge without bribing it with anything. Misty was stubborn as heck and she wasn't about to stop now. No matter what people told her, she knew that Gary didn't like her as she loved him. She knew it was a lost cause and that she would never find the happiness that every girl dreamed of and she knew that if he was to end up with anyone, it would definitely be with Leaf Hana, the girl that every guy dreamed of being with. "Red...I lost you there for a minute," Gary murmured.

"Look, I'm sorry for worrying you unnecessarily, but it's really nothing. I know I can talk to you; like you said, you're one of my best friends," Misty nodded then stepped away from him, putting a good distance between them. Gary looked heartbreakingly confused as to why she was pulling away from him. "I think you're special someone is coming here," Misty changed the subject and Gary turned around to see Leaf walking towards him, a drink in either hand. She approached the two of them with a sweet smile on her face.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Leaf asked while handing the drink to Gary. Misty turned around, unable to take it anymore. She knew that she and Gary would never be together, but that didn't mean that she didn't love him. Wrapping her arms around her body, Misty began to walk away from the two brunettes. She distantly heard Gary sigh.

"No Leaf, nothing at all." It was safe to say that Misty didn't feel like talking to anyone else the entire night. It was also safe to say that May and other girls were ready to kick Gary in the butt for doing this to their best friend.

* * *

**Woohoo! That's one more chapter down, and now that October is over, we move on to the ever exciting Thanksgiving at the Hayden residence! I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. You seriously make me feel loved and like I actually have a chance for people to like my stories. Did that make sense? Hopefully it did, but I hope you guys know that I love you from the bottom of my heart.**

**Thank you to everyone who favorited/reviewed/followed/pm-ed me! I will try to get back to all of you but I'm super busy until the end of June so no promises. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon, even though I haven't even written a page of it. Anyways, that's it for now, so I guess I'll see you in the next chapter!**

**_Songs Used:_  
_Monster High: Monster High (couldn't find the singer/group)  
__Thriller: Michael Jackson_  
**

**~Deepika**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yay new chapter! Thanks for all the amazing reviews on the last chapter; I'm literally blown away. By the way, I wanted to clear something up. The reason that these girls are always at huge social events is because they live in a socialite town, meaning that their whole lives literally revolve around these huge social events. If you've ever seen the show Revenge, it's kind of like that; Victoria is always having these get togethers and parties and brunches, which was the idea that I was kind of going for. Anyway, I hoped I got that cleared up. **

**Also, I'm literally addicted to the song Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke so if you see that in a future chapter, you'll know why. You should definitely listen to it [watching it might scar your brain]. **

**Anyway, enough of my incessant rambling, and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 13_

The fall air smelled of slightly dying leaves but it was a good smell; it smelled like Thanksgiving. Dawn smiled brightly as she was excited for Thanksgiving. Autumn was her favorite time of the year, partly because it brought back so many happy memories. Flashes of memories with her father raking leaves and her jumping in them while her mother baked different pies in the kitchen, sending currents of sweet cinnamon smelling air out through the window. The bluenette sighed contently and continued to doodle on her sketchpad when a shadow appeared over her head.

"You're way too smiley," Paul gruffly commented. Too happy and too relaxed for him to ruin her content mood, Dawn looked up with an irritated look in her eyes but otherwise expressionless.

"Is there something I can help you with? I'd like to spend my Saturdays doing nothing," Dawn raised her eyebrows. Paul's eye twitched but he managed a small grimace as his attempt at smiling. The purple haired boy look uncharacteristically shy as he looked down and swallowed thickly. "Ok, what's wrong?" Dawn asked, closing her sketchbook and standing up. She daintily brushed the dirt and dust off of her skirt and bundled up in her jacket a bit more.

"Well, we have to start our project for chemistry. And my mom's been begging to meet you so..." Paul's cheeks were dusted light pink and Dawn furrowed her brows in confusion. "N-not that I've talked to her about you. Jennifer Hayden can be quite a blabber mouth. It doesn't help that Drew's parents and my parents are very close. Or as close as you can be in the socialite town."

"Well...that's really sweet. Alright, let me go ask my mom and then we'll go, ok?" Dawn smiled sweetly as she headed inside the tea shop she was currently in front of to talk to her mother. Paul stood outside awkwardly and studied the number of cracks on the sidewalk as the girl who was his forced partner talked to her mother. The door chimed once more and Dawn appeared out, a slightly irritated look on her face. "Mom! I _told_ you that there's nothing going on! Mind your own business!" she yelled rolling her eyes at her mother's nosiness.

"Ready Troublesome?" Paul asked as he got off the wall he was leaning on and stuffed his hands in his pocket once more. Dawn nodded enthusiastically and bounced ahead of him, jabbering about something or the other as Paul zoned out.

There was something truly interesting about this girl, even if she was infuriatingly annoying and perky at ungodly hours. Like her namesake, she was a little ray of sunshine, not afraid to speak her mind and always willing to say something positive in order to cheer up someone else. In the three months that he had known her, she had never once gotten extremely mad or annoyed at someone in their group, a rare event that resulted from the lies and deceit from living in such a high-standard rich city like LaRousse. Dawn didn't fit the standard that he had been forced to grow up with; in fact, none of the Eeveeite girls fit into the stereotype, which was probably the reason that they were all friends.

"Paul, are you ok?" Dawn quietly asked. Their pace had slowed down to a relaxed stroll through Clearview Park, a park full of lush gardens and gorgeous trees. The leaves on the trees were already changing colors, turning into stunning hues of red, orange, and yellow. Some of the leaves had fallen to the ground already and Dawn had the sudden urge to go play in them.

"I'm fine," Paul gruffly replied, not knowing what to say when he saw the sparkling look in the girl's eyes. He was never really good with people, especially women. Paul was a socially awkward person and he wasn't good at starting conversations, which probably explained the awkward silence that was currently drifting over them. Dawn looked around, trying to find a topic to start a conversation on but was continually drawing a blank, not knowing what he liked and what he didn't like. A bright idea appeared in her head.

"Hey Paul, let's play a game!" Dawn grinned like a little child, causing Paul to roll his eyes. As if being able to sense what he was thinking, the bluenette pouted, crossing her arms across her chest defensively, and stuck her tongue out at him. "Before you make any complaints, I'd like to point out that there is a severe lack of conversation going and unless you want to die of awkwardness, I suggest we play my game."

"I..." Paul was speechless as Dawn ranted and he couldn't help but feel his respect for this girl start to rise a little. Dawn blushed while looking down. "Fine, we'll play your little game," Paul acquiesced, knowing he was going to regret this no matter what. Dawn looked up in surprise and the almost immediate agreeable tone in Paul's voice.

"Ok, but uh, I have some rules." Dawn spoke shyly and softly. Paul gave her a blank stare. "It's my game! I get to make up the rules, ok?" she defended herself. The purple haired boy just rolled his eyes and they proceeded to walk again. "Anyway, we're going to play a form of twenty questions only we get to ask as many questions as we want about each other. The only rules are no asking about fathers or alcohol."

"Fine with me," Paul sighed as if talking to her was a chore and a waste of his time. "I don't even want to play this stupid game," he huffed, causing Dawn to suck a cheek in and narrow her eyes at him. "Look Troublesome, I'm entertaining you right now because I have nothing else better to do. This is your stupid game so unless you want to walk in silence, _I_ suggest you take what you can get," he smirked as Dawn gaped at him once more but shook her head.

"Well, since you're so sweet, I guess I'll start. What's your favorite color?" she asked, deciding to start off simple. Paul looked up at the sky as if someone up there could help him and then he looked back at her.

"Black." Paul's voice was completely monotonous and Dawn gave him a strange look with her eyebrows raised high and mouth slightly open. She shook her head and smiled brightly.

"Mine's pink!" she beamed and Paul gave her a bored look.

"As if that was any question," he grumbled but there was a slight smirk on his face. Dawn gave Paul a look that had his lips twitching. She narrowed her eyes as she impatiently waited for him to ask the next question. "Fine, fine...what...is your dream career?"

"It would probably be being a famous fashion designer for both Pokemon and people alike. I think it would be amazing to see my clothes being put to good use in things like fashion shows or for little outfits for contests or musicals. How about yours?" Paul frowned for a moment, not sure of how to answer the question.

"I'm not quite sure..." he began, looking thoughtful. There was something about his voice that seemed to capture Dawn. "But I know that I want to do something with either battling or helping out the innocent." Dawn looked at him, a serious shadow crossing her face.

"Those seem like two different ends of a spectrum," she commented quietly, surprised when Paul nodded his head in agreement.

"When I was younger, at ten years old, I used to think that all pokemon were good for were battling and the only good ones were the powerful ones. I used to push them past their limits, allow them to suffer and get sick, only to push them even further. I would cast the weak ones aside and I would only strive to make my strong pokemon even stronger. But then..." Paul seemed to hesitate once more. Dawn, far too invested in this now and eager for Paul to open up, smiled at him encouragingly. "My brother, he... is a pokemon breeder, someone who dedicates their entire lives to helping pokemon and caring for them and nurturing them. I would laugh at him and call him weak and worthless.

"But one day, I was training, because back then, that was all I ever did. I was training my Torterra, my very first pokemon, and I pushed him way too hard. I saw the signs, I saw what my drills and my constant pushing were doing to him, yet I just couldn't stop." The haunting memories seemed to pass through his eyes and Dawn nearly grabbed him in a hug. "Torterra...he...collapsed. Normally, I wouldn't be scared, but this time... I nearly saw his spirit leave his body. The three legendary pokemon surrounded him but one turned to me and talked to me in my head. They said that I needed to stop this torture and abuse and that it wasn't time for Torterra to leave this planet. My pokemon nearly _died_ and it was all my fault!"

"But you didn't know. You were young and you were ambitious and you didn't know any better. You've learned your lesson now; you have nothing to be guilty about," Dawn smiled softly. Paul's lips twitched once more.

"My brother Reggie came rushing when I called him and together, we helped nurse Torterra back to health. It was then that I vowed that being Pokemon Master wouldn't be my only goal in life. And when Reggie..." Paul's face hardened and his mouth clamped shut as he remembered where he was and to whom he was talking to. "Nothing. Forget I said anything," he muttered. Although she was disappointed, Dawn knew that she was slowly chipping his icy exterior day by day.

"Hey, look, we're here," Dawn smiled brightly. It was true; the two had ended up right at Paul's doorstep. Taking out his key, Paul unlocked the door and led Dawn inside. Almost immediately, an over-enthusiastic woman, who nearly engulfed the two of them in a bone-crushing hug, bombarded the pair.

"Sweetie! Why didn't you tell me that you had a girlfriend?" she squealed loudly and Paul wriggled his way out of her vice grip. "Oops, sorry there love," the woman laughed as she let Dawn go. Now free, Dawn got a better look at the woman. An average size of 5 foot 5, the long violet haired woman looked warm and welcoming but also exuded an air of authority and power. Paul seemed unaffected by her yelling and straightened out his clothing.

"Mother, stop the nonsense. This is Dawn, my classmate, and my partner for our chemistry project," Paul grumbled and his mother laughed once more. Her lilac eyes twinkled knowingly as she shook the blue-haired girl's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Dawn..."

"Berlin. My mother is Johanna Berlin and she owns a tea shop in the city. She was also a famous coordinator back in the days," Dawn smiled sweetly. Paul's mother nodded in recognition.

"Ah, and you're father owns Berlin and Co. I thought I recognized the last name. My name is Andrea Shinji, but you could just call me Andy. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of each other soon enough," Andy replied, causing Paul and Dawn to flush when they picked up on her not-so-subtle meaning.

"I-It's nothing like that ma'am, honestly," Dawn nervously laughed, waving her hand. Andy just smiled and led the two into the giant house. The bluenette couldn't help but stare in awe as she took in the chic and sleek modern design of the house and the subtle touches of warmth from the decorations. "Mrs. Shinji, you're house is absolutely beautiful," Dawn breathed.

"Andy dear, and thank you! In fact, I'd like to extend my Sunday brunch invitation to your mother. I'm sure it would be lovely to get to know the famous Johanna Berlin," she smiled politely. Dawn could only nod as Andrea went into the kitchen and Paul led her downstairs to the giant family room.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't make it tonight? You promised...all right Mom, I'll talk to you later. Yeah, I love you too," Blaze whispered. Blaze Malcolm repressed a sigh and hung up, tired of her mother's pitiful excuses. Blaze was taking part in an exhibition where people could showcase their pokemon's talent. Blaze had made it through the preliminary and secondary rounds and was going into the semi finals. Hoping her parents would finally see that she had amounted to something, Blaze had excitedly told her parents and they had _promised_, but of course, as they always did, her parents flaked off at the last moment leaving her feeling abandoned once more.

"Dear, is everything alright?" a weak voice called from the living room. Blaze immediately forgot everything and ran to her grandmother. Byron was with Grams, fiddling with the television to see if he could find anything good on. Blaze knelt by the couch and unnecessarily fixed and smoothed down her grandmother's blanket. "Oh Arceus, did your parents cancel again?" Grams sighed. Blaze smiled weakly.

"Yeah, but it's no big deal. I didn't really care for it anyway," she bitterly laughed. Grams frowned at her granddaughter.

"Blaze Malcolm, I may be 86 years old, but don't you think for a second you could pull a fast one on me," Grams waggled her finger at the auburn haired girl. Byron double-teamed her and took Grams' side.

"Grams is right B. I think we all know how important this showcase is to you," Byron tried to persuade her. Blaze shook her head and remained resolved on not going. "Blaze..."

"It's fine. We can go somewhere tonight, somewhere better than that stupid exhibition," she smiled and Byron nodded, looking as unconvinced as her grandmother. "I'm going to go shopping for groceries. Text me if you need me," Blaze nodded and headed out the door. Grams looked at the door even after Blaze left and sighed.

"Don't worry Grams, Blaze will be fine. I hate to say it, but she's been through this before and I guess she's kind of used to it. It's really not the worst that Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm have done. Even so, I'll take care of her," Byron said quietly, an uncharacteristic amount of seriousness in his voice. Tears flooded Grams' eyes as she grabbed both of Byron's hands and weakly squeezed them.

"What has my granddaughter done to deserve an amazing man like you?" she whispered and Byron stooped down to her level. He smiled sweetly at the elderly woman who, just like her amazing granddaughter, had somehow created a special place in his heart. "Byron," Grams began, her voice taking a serious tone as well. "When I pass on, oh, don't give me that look boy, I know my time is near. But I need you to promise me that you will take care of Blaze. I don't care if you take care of her as a friend, a boyfriend, or a husband, but promise me that you _will_ be there for her when I cannot."

Byron swallowed at the intensity of her gaze, his cheeks automatically turning red at her insinuation. "Of course I promise," he nodded, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Grams sighed, a few tears escaping her eyes.

"I don't know how much longer I have, but I know that no amount of medication is going to help me. I'm the only thing that's keeping Blaze afloat right now, and I don't know how much longer I can do that. But she loves you Byron, I can see it in her eyes. And I'm afraid if you're not there for her, she'll go off the deep end. Arceus knows what's going to happen to Victor and Julia. Even though I'm the cause of their marriage problems, I'm also the one who is keeping them together." Grams was overtaken by a coughing fit and her body heaved with exertion. "I know you'll take care of her somehow, dear. I don't want to lose my only grandchild in the midst of all of this. She's a wild one, lit by a mighty fire, but once she snaps, she'll be consumed by it."

"Grams..."

"Now dear, have you finally fixed the television?"

* * *

May rang the doorbell to the house she was almost as familiar with as her own home. The Hayden household was one to marvel but May had always been slightly put off by its stand-offish nature. The door opened to reveal a shirtless Drew with his towel around his neck, pajama pants, and soaking wet hair. Literally unable to speak, May only opened her mouth and no noises came out. Drew seemed to enjoy her flustered state, perhaps a bit too much, as his smirk grew every second she floundered to start up some kind of conversation.

"Like what you see?" the troll had the audacity to comment. May seemed to gather her wits and smirked, pushing her way inside and giving him a look.

"Oh, you wish I did," she smiled faux-sweetly and then proceeded to plop on his couch. Drew rolled his eyes and pulled on a shirt as he walked over to the brunette who was currently flipping through his thousands of channels.

"Make yourself at home why don't you?" Drew shook his head in amusement. May ignored him and looked around the place. "Looking for something April?"

"Your parents aren't home?" she asked softly and Drew narrowed his eyes as he replied with a "no". "You should have come stayed with us. Gramps loves you and I'm sure he would have loved to spend some time with you," May pouted her lips, hating the idea of the green haired boy alone. Drew smirked once more, finding an opening to one-up her in their game of wits.

"Aw, you worried about little old me?" he grinned and May turned to him, the patented soft and gentle Maple look on her face. She gave him a small smile.

"Always Drew, you should know that by now," she replied softly. Drew swallowed uncomfortably as she gave a small sigh and turned away. The green haired boy knew he couldn't have imagined the disappointed look in her sapphire eyes. "So, what is our chemistry project going to be on?" she asked her partner. Drew flopped on the couch next to her, their shoulders brushing and Drew merely centimeters away from May.

"Can we not work on the project today? It's not due for another two weeks!" Drew groaned. He was a junior and his workload was already enough. May shook her head at Drew and bent forward to grab her notebook, giving Drew a view of her toned midriff as her top rode up. Drew swallowed once more as he realized he was having thoughts about a girl he had known since they were both toddlers. This was definitely _not_ the chubby four year old he remembered so clearly in his head. As Drew was lost in his not so innocent thoughts, May was jotting notes down in her notebook, trying to not to let his intense stare intimidate her. She was willing to get this project done because she knew that Drew didn't want to spend an insane amount of time together. Sucking in a cheek, May steeled herself for the mockery she was going to get once again.

"You, uh, you ok there Drew?" May asked. Drew seemed to snap out of his thoughts and the May raised her eyebrows as an uncharacteristic pink flush took over his cheeks. Confused, May continued to write down project ideas for their chemistry project. Though Tanner had assigned them as partners, they were to come up with their own experiment, procedures and all. In theory, it wasn't that hard of a project. But it was getting the experiment to work that would be the problem. May's trail of thought broke off once more as she realized that Drew was once again staring at her. Unable to concentrate, May abruptly stood up, startling Drew out of his thoughts once more. "I'm going to the bathroom," May announced and Drew made absolutely no comment, something very unlike him. "Boys," she muttered. The moment the brunette walked out of the room, Drew breathed in relief.

* * *

"Blaze...you look..." Byron was literally speechless. Dressed in black from head to toe, Blaze was a sight to behold. Her skin tight strapless black top stopped right above her bellybutton and left a delicious amount of skin open for everyone to use. She had on her patented Blaze cargo pants, jet black with flames on the sides and chains hanging down from them and her black combat boots. Bright red lipstick and black eyeliner were the only products on her face and the black from her outfit made her auburn hair shine gold. Blaze sported black fingerless gloves and though some would consider this ensemble 'emo' Blaze just made it work.

"No worries, I'm not out to kill," she winked, baring her teeth but sighed, her plump red lips turning downward. "Whenever my parents fight, I always go out to escape it. I can't take it, you know? Them saying all these mean things about Grams and stuff." The two had stepped out the door and begun to walk. Blaze had convinced Byron to put on something that would seem a little more acceptable to the place she refused to tell him about. "So, one day, I started to run and I stumbled upon this little place where people come and put on shows and stuff and people talk and do...other stuff."

"Other stuff that you've taken part in?" Byron asked but winced when Blaze not only punched him but also gave him a hurt look.

"What kind of girl do you take me for?" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. The sun was setting and it was getting darker and darker, but Flareon was providing them with the perfect amount of light. "Anyway, these people are just like me. Running away from their problems, pokemon enthusiasts and all. It may seem a little sketchy at first, but they're really good people," Blaze explained as the two made their way to an abandoned bridge with a roaring fire.

"Ay, there she is!" "There's our girl!" "We were wondering when you were going to show up!" Voices were shouting and cheering as an obviously popular Blaze made an appearance. A petite girl bounced up and shook a bottle of something Byron didn't even want to know what was in it.

"Girl, now who is this piece of sexy man candy you brought down here?" a black haired girl piped up, her eyes glinting. Byron blushed, unable to think of anything else to do or say. Blaze laughed, something that Byron hadn't genuinely heard in a long time.

"Byron, this is Lily; she's a strange one. Lil, this is my friend, Byron," the auburn haired girl introduced them. "By, whatever you do, don't take the juice," Blaze giggled before allowing her pokemon to roam free. It was then that Byron realized that these people all had pokemon that were running and playing near the bridge. However, like the other children sitting around the campfire, they looked malnourished.

"Oh, don't listen to silly Blaze over here. She's a stickler for not drinking, but hey, it's not like we have anything else to lose right?" Lily laughed. Chuckles emerged from the general group but a young girl, probably not even eight years old, peeped out from behind an authoritative looking boy.

"You're not going to report us, are you mister?" she asked softly and sweetly. Byron smiled at the young girl and walked over to her. The people surrounding the girl instinctively shifted closer to her but Byron managed to get close to the little one.

"No, I'm new, and I really don't belong... I think I'd like it very much if you could be my friend," he softly said, holding out his hand. The little girl, whose hair he could identify as dirty blonde, grabbed his hand.

"I'm Becky. Now we're friends and now you won't feel lonely anymore!" she beamed. The people around Becky relaxed and Blaze walked over to them. "Blaze, Blaze! Are you going to put on another show for us tonight?" Becky squealed and Blaze laughed, scooping the girl into her arms.

"Of course I am silly girl! Why else do you think I brought my friend over here?" Blaze smiled brightly as she kissed Becky on the forehead. "Now, how about you and the others find a place and I'll get the pokemon ready." Byron couldn't help but wistfully smile at the scene in front of him. Here was hardcore tough-as-nails Blaze Malcolm actually being sweet and adorable towards little children. The two friends watched as the young Becky called for her friends and the excited children argued while trying to find the perfect spot.

"So...what is this place?" the surfer boy asked his fiery friend. Blaze sighed uncomfortably and turned to face the people she had bonded with so much over the past year or two. He patiently watched as Blaze took in the sight in front of her.

"Like I was saying, they're all runaways and people who want to get away from their families. Honestly, I feel pretty selfish when I complain about my family problems because here are people who have literally grown up with nothing, and on top of that, they also have family problems. Some come from abusive families, others come from unstable houses. A few are actually foster children who decided not to go into the system."

"Wow... I never knew this place existed..." Byron breathed, almost appalled at them. No wonder the poor people were starved and deprived.

"Yea, not a lot of people do know about them. I'm actually very happy that they allowed me to join their group. As you can tell, they're a very close-knit family, and allowing some outsider, a spoiled rich girl no less, to join their group is kind of unheard of. I usually provide them with whatever money I can and I get them as much food as I can," Blaze softly explained. "It's sad because some of the younger ones don't even understand their situation."

"Well, I think it's wonderful that you're helping out with something like this. Who would have thought that tough Blaze Malcolm had a softer side?" he joked, nudging her shoulder. Blaze good-naturedly rolled her eyes and nudged the surfer boy back.

"Tell anyone and I castrate you," she threatened him. Byron let out a hearty laugh and grabbed Blaze's hand, dragging her over to the group of children who were patiently waiting for them to do something. He had never seen the girl so lighthearted and he planned to keep it that way for a while. Grams' words resonated in his mind and he had already vowed to make her smile for as long as he could.

"Blaze! We wanna see something cool!" the children chanted. Flareon, who was always by Blaze's side jumped forward and purred, eliciting coos from the children. Byron let out Blastoise, who came out chanting its name and had the children gasping for they had never seen a pokemon so big and so powerful.

"Now; can someone tell me what happens when we mix fire and water?" Blaze asked, smirking, as Flareon began charging up her attack. Byron nudged her shoulder and Blastoise began to power up his attack as well.

"Pure awesomeness, that's what," the surfer boy grinned and the fire and water attacks mixed and mingled together before becoming smoke. Blaze told him to go to the side and when he complied, Blaze got Flareon to charge up another fire attack and then what he saw literally blew his mind. Blaze was literally dancing in the flames as everyone gasped. It was obvious that the pair had practiced this trick for a while and as he watched the girl almost be engulfed in the flames, he couldn't help but think how lucky to have her in his life.

* * *

**Aww cheesy ending again! Ha, anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was kind of hard to write because I have to focus on developing all of these people's relationships. I have an idea of what I want to do but it's the execution that's the problem. Anyways, as always, thank you for all the reviews/follows/favorites. They literally blow my mind and I'm always amazed at the fact that people actually like my writing. **

**On a separate note, I am almost done with finals so that might mean I have more time to write. I'm actually really busy this summer but I promise I will try to make more time to get this story done. Thanks so much for sticking with me and my slow updates. This year has been seriously rough but I hope it will get better by next year (when I figure out where I go to college!). Anyways, I guess that's it so I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**

**~Deepika**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys, long time no see...please don't kill me. I apologize for the long wait but sometimes we all need to take vacations. Well, technically I got back 12 days ago but I really needed the time to recuperate my thoughts and everything. I went to California and had the most fantastic two weeks ever. During that time, I immersed myself in watching Doctor Who and, no lie, watched 7 series (each consisting of 13 episodes) in a little more than a week. But now I'm back and I'm ready to write again. **

**I have great ideas for all my stories, and don't think that this story will end anytime soon. I'll continue working my hardest on it as long as I have wonderful people like you guys supporting me every step of the way. Thanks so much for understanding and for sticking with me even when you feel like I'm ignoring this story and my fanfiction life. I'll admit, I was slightly worried that I was spending all my time writing but I'm ready to get to work again and to finally complete these stories.**

**Also, I apologize for the lack of actual content and for the abundance of rambling. I just wanted to get a chapter out because I saw that it had been a month+ since I'd updated and I just needed to update you guys with something. This is just a filler chapter, filled with a bit of humor, and will slowly get the ball rolling. Get ready for a rocky ride (can I get any lamer?)!**

**As usual, enough of my incessant rambling, and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 14_

May Maple reveled in the silence of her house. Her mother, Max, and Norman were all out so it was one of those rare times when she could relax and bask in pure silence. It felt like life was threatening to overwhelm her and it was only November. Being part of so many clubs really tired her out but she wouldn't trade it for anything. However, today, she decided to just focus on relaxing.

However, as always, leaving May Maple alone in a house was a terrible idea. It wasn't that she was _trouble_ necessarily, but when left alone, she would be sucked into the vortex of her dark thoughts and that wasn't something she liked to deal with, which in turn, resulted in the imminent destruction of her house. After about half an hour of thinking and reliving memories the young brunette definitely did not wish to relive, she decided to call her friends over to her house. May scrambled out of bed and quickly washed herself before picking up her dex and texting Misty and Dawn, who would undoubtedly spread the word.

It wasn't long until the doorbell rang. Grinning, May ran up to the front door and yanked it open. "Hi!" she beamed and the other girls chorused their hellos before coming inside. Dawn was the first one to take her stuff off and start walking to the kitchen.

"So, you mind telling us why we're even here on this glorious Sunday afternoon?" the bluenette questioned her friend. May sighed and herded the Eeveeites into the decent sized kitchen that was already primed with ingredients. Noticing the uncomfortable look on her friend's face, Dawn grabbed May's shoulder firmly. "Are you alright? Something we should know about?"

"Ah, no, don't mind me. I was just...bored. Yeah, bored is all," May laughed nervously, trying her best to ignore the knowing look on Misty's face. The redhead wandered off to various cupboards, inspecting the items in there.

"Now if I know my Maple, chances are that we're going to be baking," Misty grinned widely. Blaze groaned and Aisha laughed, knowing it was because Blaze hated anything to do with cooking. The female Oak pouted and turned to her auburn haired friend.

"At least try to be excited!" she exclaimed. "Besides, what better way to spend a day than making a complete mess with your friends?" she flashed a quick smile and then began whizzing around the kitchen, grabbing things that they were going to need.

"Erm May? Slow down a bit, I think you're going to hit"

"OOF!" May squealed as she ran right into the kitchen wall. "Oh, for the love of Mew!"

* * *

"Bored," Gary whined and flopped on his bed, head hanging off the edge. Drew's face was in close proximity as the green haired boy tried to calm himself in vain by taking deep breaths. His nose flared in annoyance as Gary unrelentingly pestered him. "Drew..." Gary whined like a pathetic five year old.

"Arceus what the hell do you want me to do?" he growled, throwing down the book he had previously been engrossed in. He was normally able to withstand Gary's annoying ticks but the fact that he wasn't even paying attention to the book but rather thinking of a certain brunette chemistry lab partner who had gotten under his skin had him at wits end and he wasn't able to take a double Oak attack. Gary raised an eyebrow at him, suddenly registering that things weren't right with his best friend.

"You ok?" he asked, eyes suddenly serious. It always surprised Drew, how quickly Gary could shift his moods quickly just as May was... Realizing where his train of though was heading, Drew growled and jumped up, startling the male Oak. "Dude, seriously. I've never seen you this tense before. Everything ok with the family?" Drew's expression softened and his body slumped.

"No, nothing's wrong, just...weird thoughts," he shot the brunette a weak smile and shook his head. "Hey, you wanna hang out with the guys today?" Drew asked, hoping his friends could take his mind off of May. Gary shrugged and whipped out his dex to text his friends. His pokedex beeped with a new message. Opening it, Gary snorted with concealed laughter.

"Yo, come here," Gary chuckled, holding out his dex. Drew came over and peered over his friend's shoulder to see what was so funny. "Reminds you of all those years ago doesn't it?" Gary laughed openly now. What the male Oak was showing him was a picture of Misty and May in the kitchen, both of them covered in ingredients, Misty in mid throw and May laughing and shielding herself from the attack of white flour. It seemed that the other girls had decided to take a picture on Misty's dex and send it to Gary with a caption of 'you have no idea what you're missing'.

"I think it's safe to say that the girls won't be hanging out with us today," Drew smirked, momentarily distracted until his thoughts began spinning with May in the center of him and he internally sighed knowing he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about her today. "Well, let guy day commence."

* * *

"Oh my Arceus, he did _what_?" Aisha squealed and Blaze blushed bright scarlet and May giggled and fell into Dawn who was also in giggled at the auburn's apparent discomfort. After a few fun hours of baking, all the goods were in the oven and they had decided to relax and just talk.

"Yea, he was literally checking me out and like staring and stuff," Blaze bit her lip and looked down. "Ugh, it's so weird. Like...I should be creeped out but I'm not and it's weird," Blaze sucked a cheek in and the other Eeveeites exchanged glances before turning to May and Dawn.

"So I seem to remember you two complaining about your lab partners and knowing you, you've already started the projects. How's that going?" Misty grinned and May shrugged the best she could.

"Well, when you're in love with one of the best looking guys in your school that you've knowing for practically your whole life, it tends to get a bit awkward. But I think it went well," the brunette deadpanned. The girls stared at her in shock. "What? I think it's about time I've just admitted it. It's not like it was a well-kept secret in the first place. But I'm not getting together with him before anyone says anything, let's just get that clear. We all know how I get about him." Sympathetic looks were shared between the five best friends as the brunette weakly shrugged again. "What about you Dawn?"

"Well, Paul brought me to his house where I was literally ambushed by his mother. She seems sweet and all and she was all excited to see that Paul had brought a girl home, not matter how many times we tried to persuade her that we were just friends," Dawn snorted and then tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't think it worked," she added as an afterthought. Laughing, May shook her head and looked at her half Indian friend.

"Sha? You ok?" May asked softly. Aisha shook her head slowly, still unable to believe her friend even after knowing her for so many years. The brunette was so in-tune with emotions it was astounding that people only saw her as ditzy. "Aisha?" Tears flooded the half Indian's eyes and she nodded while sniffling.

"I'm sorry, my parents are giving me a seriously hard time. They keep saying these things about you guys and how I'm wasting my life away and not living up to their expectations. Sometimes I wonder if they see me as a daughter or just someone to carry on the family legacy," she explained shakily as a few tears flooded out of her eyes. Blaze frowned, lips pursing into a tight line.

"I love you Sha, but I can't stand your parents at times! I know they only want the best for you but you're still allowed to be a teenager!" she growled, grabbing the black haired girl into a giant hug. Aisha laughed and shook her head.

"It feels good to get this out after holding it in so long... Thanks for being my best friends," she laughed while sniffling. Blaze then looked at her friends and took a shaky breath. Running her fingers through her short auburn hair, she cast her gaze downwards.

"At least your parents care about you. I can't help but think that my parents don't even love me anymore, not after all the trouble I've given them about Grams. They've literally bailed on me for almost every single one of my events and...I can't..." the auburn broke off, voice choked with tears. "I think Grams is going to go soon," Blaze admitted quietly, her body shaking. Aisha hugged her best friend. May spoke up next.

"I can't take the shit between me, Dad, and Laura. I know Dad loves her, but how can I possibly accept a woman who hates my guts for no apparent reason? I know I should sacrifice my happiness for my Dad's but...seriously? That's the reason I don't go to Gramps' house anymore. I'm scared that one day I'll find her living there permanently." May spoke up. Misty looked at the brunette and hugged her tightly.

"My sisters see me as scum," Misty whispered. It was almost impossible to hear her over the massive tear fest but when the girls did, May shook her head angrily. "Ever since my parents died in that plane crash, my sisters have seen me as a burden and even Daisy, who had always been my support system, she's been avoiding me and sending me dirty looks recently. I don't feel comfortable living in my own home." Burying her head in her best friend's shoulder, she was appalled and mortified to realize that tears were streaming down her face. Dawn stayed silent for a moment, knowing that the truth had to come out eventually.

"My dad doesn't run our business anymore." she blurted out and the four remaining Eeveeites stared at her in confusion. "He um...did some things that are unforgiveable, things I can't go into, but those things sent him to jail. We've been pretending things are ok for far too long and he's literally a taboo word between my mom and I. That's why fathers are such a sensitive topic for me..." Dawn said and then she broke down as well. Everyone thought they had such perfect lives but no, in fact, they were so stuffed with problems, it was a miracle that none of them had fallen apart yet.

Through all of their tears, it was a miracle that one of them heard the timer ding and they all jumped up, eager to get the baked goods out of the oven. Though their eyes were rimmed red and their noses were stuffy, smiles were shared throughout the group. Knowing some secrets made them closer and just that much stronger. May looked up and gathered the baked goods into a few containers and looked at the girls. "Do you want to swing by Gramps' house and see if the guys want any of these? Besides, if we hang out any longer with just us girls, we might just erupt into tears again," she laughed. Agreeing, the girls fixed themselves up and prepared to walk to the Oak mansion. "On second thought, let's just use pokemon. Dragonite and Altaria can carry all of us. Mist and I will go on Altaria and the rest of you go on Dragonite. Altaria can be a bit rude to strangers."

The girls quickly situated themselves and flew over to the Oak mansion where May knew her brother and probably the rest of the guys would be. May quickly inserted the key and opened the door where almost immediately, shouting could be heard. Raising their eyebrows, the girls walked down the hallway and followed the yelling to the family room where the giant television was set up. All five boys were playing a video game and were yelling at each other because at least one person was dying every few minutes. As the smell of the wonderful baked goodies wafted through the air, Drew was the first one to smell it and quickly paused the game, turning his head to see five girls standing at the edge of the family room with raised eyebrows and crossed arms. Blaze was the first one to speak.

"Arceus, you'd think World War III was happening in here," she rolled her eyes. Gary noticed the boxes in his sister and her friends' hands.

"What's in the boxes?" he asked, getting up and grinning. May smirked as she shook the box a little and cookies could be heard in the box. Gary's face morphed into one of pure happiness. "Oh! Give me, give me, give me!" he cheered but May held it away from him. "What do you want?" he sighed. May looked at him, her eyes half serious and half joking.

"It's quite simple, really. We just want to hang out here with you guys," she smiled hopefully. Rocky was the first one to whine.

"But it's guys night!" he pouted and yelped as Drew struck him on the back of his head. "Geez, I'm sorry Mr. Overprotective," Rocky sneered and rubbed his head. Drew stood up and regarded the girls carefully. Something wasn't right with them.

"You guys ok?" he asked, mainly to May who was looking a bit pale. She beamed at him and her brother, naturally deflecting the question.

"So is that a yes? We have cookies as a peace offering," she dangled the box. Gary slung his arm around his little sister and gave her a cheeky smile.

"Like I could ever say no to you baby sister. Now...how about we have a match in Halo?"

Approximately twenty minutes later, the ten friends were all situated on the various couches and engrossed in a serious match. Having decided to make it a kind of girls against guys match, the whole family room was filled with angry yells and curses. It turned out that the girls weren't bad at all; in fact, they were almost better than the guys, which only served to anger them more. Amongst the best were Misty and surprisingly May. The brunette had, to everyone's surprise, gotten the highest kill ratio.

"Arceus Troublesome, you're terrible at this game," Dawn's apparent button mashing strategy wasn't working and Paul only fueled her anger more as she continued to pursue him and keep killing him. Suddenly, no one else mattered and the two were engaged in an intense head to head battle that resulted in several insults and several real life kicks.

"Yea, well, says the person who's died at least twenty times," Dawn smirked as she rapidly spammed the button that controlled the guns and other weapons. "Eat my dust you pathetic eggplant," she huffed and a snicker could be heard in the background. Not surprisingly, the two competitors hadn't realized that everyone had stopped playing the game and were just watching them. Suddenly, the match ended and Dawn grinned, throwing down her controller and happy dancing, not caring what anyone else thought. "HA! BEAT THAT!" she laughed triumphantly.

* * *

**Like I said, super short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Please expect more from me as I'll try to write more and more and try to get the story moving so it doesn't get too boring. As usual, thanks for all the favorites/follows/reviews. You guys mean the world to me and I was so excited to see that I had passed 60 reviews on this story! I freaking love you guys (I less than 3 you) so much and even though it doesn't seem like a lot, it makes me feel like the best author on the universe. Thanks for sticking with me through my hiatus and I'll see you next chapter!**

**~Deepika**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ok, there are seriously no excuses for how long it has been since I have updated. I could probably bore you guys with excuses and what not but really, it's just been a whole lot of college drama and writer's block. Honestly, I'm flooded with work, but with the impending snow day upon us east coasters, I decided to just hop back onto the writing train and just crank out some chapters. I'll try to update maybe once a week but I have no idea how that is going to work out so...yea, I'll just leave it at that.**

**Please drop a review or a favorite if ya feel like it, cause that would mean the world to me.**

**Thanks for putting up with me all these years guys. Now enough of my incessant rambling, and let's get on with the chapter.**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 15_

The weekend went by way too fast for Dawn's liking. Almost like the blink of an eye, she was back in school, going through her schedule once again. She sighed as she listened to her chemistry teacher drone on about compounds and how to find out the individual masses of each element contained in said compound. Inching her head a bit to the side, she smirked as she noted May drifting off, then daring to look behind her, she noted how Drew was snoring and Paul was barely managing to keep awake in order to take notes. In the back of her mind, Dawn wondered why she was even taking this course when she was focused on being a stylist, but then realized that in order to get into the most prestigious universities located in another region, she needed to get the grades and the credits.

LaRousse High only produced the greatest and they were all expected to go to high places in the industry. Masters University was a long time away, but was hopefully where Dawn would end up. MU had one of the best design programs and was where fashion designers and stylists of all regions went to make a name for themselves. Dawn had her life planned out and was excited to get out of this dreaded class and go to the classes that she actually enjoyed.

Sadly, thinking of her future was now sounding boring to Dawn and she regained focus of her highly energetic and charismatic teacher. Mr. Tanner was still prattling on and on about his favorite structures and how each compound had a specific structure- Dawn was certain that ninety-eight percent of the class was staring at the clock. Unfortunately, Dawn would have to endure her gym class in order to end up in her fine arts class. May had officially fallen asleep and Drew had woken up and taken to putting post-its on the slumbering brunette's back. Paul was writing something down in his notebook and Dawn had finally given up any hope of listening to her teacher and started to sketch an elaborate dress that she could hopefully wear for the Oak event taking place in January. Finally the bell rang and students started to file out. Giggling softly, Dawn watched the sleeping beauty for a good minute before finally shaking her awake. May was startled awake and was disoriented much to the amusement of her three friends.

"Arceus May, thought you'd never wake up. Honestly, you could sleep through the war between Rayquaza and Kyogre," Drew snorted. May rolled her eyes, still too disoriented to reply with a retort. The green haired boy's eyes softened as he noted the slightly darker circles under May's eyes. Feeling that she wasn't really needed here, Dawn nudged Paul and led him out of the room leaving the two others to talk. "Everything ok?"

May blinked a couple of times, first wondering when the classroom had become empty, and second, wondering how Drew knew that something was off. It was times like these that May was thankful she had Drew in her life. There was honestly no one that knew her better than him and the fact that he was in tune with most of what went on in her life sealed the deal for her. A soft tired smile took over her face and she nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Yea, yea... Mom and Norman have just... Well, they've just been fighting a lot and there's only so much a wooden door can block out," May laughed. Drew took the brunette into his arms, knowing that she wouldn't be making a big deal out of nothing. Neither of them mentioned the obvious tension crackling between them.

"And how long has this been going on?" the young Hayden perceptively asked. May gave a guilty smile and Drew didn't even have to hear her answer to know that this had been going on for quite some time. "Is Max taking this ok?"

"Max," May said with some disdain and perhaps jealousy, "is at some fancy boarding school for little geniuses. He hasn't been home since the end of August. The lucky kid gets to stay away from Mom and Dad while I'm stuck dealing with their drama." Something seemed to click in May and she moved away from Drew and looked at the clock. "When did everyone leave?" she asked, an adorably confused look on her face. If he weren't so worried Drew would have found this adorable.

"C'mon shorty, let's get out of here. You have class to get to. And don't think that we're not continuing this conversation later. You know I'm telling Gary," he reprimanded the brunette. May gazed at him with wide eyes.

"No! Please don't tell Gare. He'll just get worried and force me to stay at Gramps' and I just can't take that right now." May struggled to keep her voice low. Drew shot her a sideways glance but said nothing as the two walked out of the classroom. Paul and Dawn were waiting for them. "You guys didn't have to wait for us," May smiled softly. Paul scoffed.

"I didn't want to but Troublesome here forced me to." Dawn raised a brow.

"I didn't force you to do anything. Whatever, play it tough," Dawn snorted and linked arms with May, leading her down the now empty hallways. There were a few straggling students but the hallways were silent for the most part. The bluenette turned to her friend, eyes wide and concerned. May gave a weak smile but said nothing. Dawn let it slide but vowed that she would talk to her closest friend later.

"We're going to be late," came the dull and flat voice of one Paul Shinji. Dawn rolled her eyes, glancing at the purple haired man out of her peripheral vision.

"Well that was painfully obvious," Drew snorted, his eyes rolling as well. Paul glared at him but he paid no mind. "Although true, I can't really bring myself to care." May gasped mockingly.

"Drew not caring about school? What in the name of Raikou is going on?" she dramatically leaned on Dawn. "Then again, I can't bring myself to care either. Do we have to go to gym now?" the brunette whined, casting her shining sapphire eyes on Dawn. Dawn giggled and nudged May hard enough to jolt her off her shoulder.

"Come on, it's not that bad. In fact, I heard that we don't really have to do anything today since makeups and all that jazz." All four friends realized that they had made it to the end of the hallway that led to two paths. One that went outside and the other that led to the boys' math class.

"Well, I guess this is it guys. See ya later princess," Drew bid adieu, Paul following him after giving a curt nod. May raised an eyebrow, but paid no mind to the warring emotions in her head. She knew that Drew would definitely tell Gary what had happened but a small, slightly more rational part of her brain informed her that this was probably a smart decision.

"Urgh! Why does he _insist_ on meddling with everything in my life?" May protested, not taking her eyes off his retreating figure. Dawn perked a brow. "What?"

"May, he cares for you, why is that so hard to believe?" Dawn laughed as the two girls started to head for the door. The late bell was going to ring in a couple of minutes but neither girl could muster up the willpower to hurry to the gymnasium. May averted her eyes, a pink tinge taking over her cheeks. "You honestly can't believe that he doesn't like you?" the bluenette laughed but sobered when she saw May's expression. "May, the guy is practically in love with you. You've known him since you were what, five years old?"

"Four," May muttered but shook her head. "I also think it's painfully obvious that Paul has taken a liking to you. Heck, I've never seen him hold a conversation for that long with any one of us," she laughed shaking her head. "I think I even saw a ghost of a smile."

"Don't be ridiculous May. No one, let alone I, has that kind of power." May gave her a strangely intense look.

"You have no idea how much of a difference you've made to our group." Dawn shrugged but left if at that. The two girls entered the gymnasium and entered the locker room chatting quietly. Blaze and Aisha turned at the sound of the familiar voices, both shooting the troubled girls bright smiles.

"So what's got you two so down?" Blaze asked, pointedly ignoring the glare from Aisha. Dawn and May blanched. The half-Asian girl rolled her eyes and stepped in front of her best friend, trying to rectify the situation.

"What she _means_ to say is that if you guys need someone to talk to, we're always here, willing to listen. But what it looks like you two need is a trip to the café or Dawn's tea shop and some nice relaxation tea," she replied, smiling softly and serenely. Blaze rolled her eyes at Sha's words but grudgingly agreed. There was no way that they were letting this friendship fall apart after finally bonding and spending time together. Dawn looked at the fiery girl curiously.

"What's got you all riled up today? I've never seen you in such a bad mood." Blaze exhaled loudly and dug her hands in the pockets of the black sweatshirt she was sporting.

"The one time my parents pay attention to me, it's to go to one of their stupid socialite parties. I mean, I've already said I hated that lifestyle. Why make me go through this all the time?" Blaze grumbled, eyes flashing dangerously. Dawn knew that if Blaze had a dodge ball in her hand at this very moment, she would have thrown it and potentially knocked someone out. "It's just...I wish they would see me for who I am. Not for some fake plastic doll that's to be messed around with and dressed up to someone else's liking." May grimaced and placed a sympathetic hand on Blaze's shoulder.

"Sometimes I wish my parents never paid attention. Nowadays it feels like all they do is fight. It's been months since I've seen them have a single conversation that doesn't lead to a fight. And with Max gone, it feels like when they're not going at it with each other, all their anger is directed on me. Arceus, I'm so tired of it!" May ranted, gathering the attention of some people. Holly was smirking at the brunette and her friends but Dawn and Aisha ushered the two other girls away before any altercations could escalate.

"Guys can we not make this a pity party? We should all be thankful that we have people in our lives to at least support us. Now I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to talk about something else." Dawn declared. Aisha grinned and nodded.

"So, changing topics, do you guys want to come see my local dance school's performance? My very own class is going to be there and they're going to be performing!" Aisha proudly announced. Blaze's grumpy mood immediately evaporated and she burst into a smile, hugging the life out of her best friend.

"Oh my Arceus Sha, that's amazing!" Blaze exclaimed. May and Dawn returned similar sentiments, much to the half Asian girl's pleasure. She blushed under their expressions.

"I mean, it's not _much_ but it's just, these girls have been working so hard and I'm so proud of them!" Aisha exclaimed. May nudged the taller girl's shoulder, a difficult feat since she had more than three inches on her.

"Aisha, don't you _dare_ try and take this accomplishment away from yourself. We all know how much this means to you and we would be honored to be able to share this momentous occasion with you." Aisha actually looked a little teary-eyed at her brunette friend. Words would never be able to express how much these girls meant to her.

"You, my dear Princess, have such a way with words."

"Well, I try."

oOoOoO

They were all sitting down at lunch when the subject was breached. May and Drew were in the middle of a heated discussion, no doubt about May's recent revelation of her fighting parents, and Misty and Gary were watching the back and forth exchange. Blaze and Byron were quietly chatting with Aisha and Rocky and Paul was being his normal antisocial self. Dawn had been thinking about the upcoming month and realized that if she knew her friends, there was definitely a chance of some big event this upcoming month. It almost surprised Dawn at how easily she just accepted this fact now, after only three months of living here, but she honestly wouldn't trade it for anything.

"So do we have any events coming up?" Dawn asked and everyone stopped talking, giving her strange looks. May was the first one to speak up.

"Oh Mew, we honestly keep forgetting that you haven't lived here as long as we have. It's simple really; we usually have Thanksgiving at Drew's house, then Christmas and New Years at mine." Drew's face paled at the thought of the social gathering that would be occurring soon. Dawn, the ever-so perceptive one, glanced at Drew's ashen face and frowned.

"Everything ok?" Dawn asked quietly, once everyone's focus was once again shifted to each other. Drew looked up, surprised, meeting Dawn's wry expression. "I'm very good at reading expressions Drew, and I'm sure May would be hounding you if she wasn't so stressed out. Now would you like to tell me what's up with you? You've practically been silent for almost half an hour." Drew had a perplexed expression on his face.

"It's just my parents, y'know. They're not exactly the most reliable people and even though I know they love me, they have a very nice habit of cancelling on us or something. In all honesty, May and I usually end up doing all the cooking," Drew commented, a slight smirk appearing on his face. Dawn didn't bother pointing out the complete irony of that statement, knowing that the two of them just needed to work it out on their own. "I mean, Gary and Misty usually help, but they're better at making the mess than actually cooking or baking. No doubt May's already told you how much she would bake when we were younger." Dawn could hardly keep her joyous squeal at the mooned look in Drew's emerald eyes. Instead, Dawn softly smiled.

"Well, in any case, you'll have friends and other family with you. And that's really what Thanksgiving is all about, when you actually think about it. Even though your parents may not be able to make it, you're surrounded by people who love you." Drew once again stared at Dawn, gracing her with a rare, genuine smile, then proceeded to turn around and pester May. The bluenette looked at her friends with fascination.

"You should stop," Paul's low voice broke her concentration. Turning towards him, Dawn perked a brow and crinkled her nose.

"Stop what? I'm not even doing anything," Dawn muttered, low enough that only Paul could hear. Paul sighed, a weird expression on his face.

"Matchmaking does not suit you." He stated bluntly, flicking a piece of hair out of his face, stony eyes boring into hers. Dawn repressed a smile; whether he cared to admit it or not, he was protective of his friends and he didn't want to see any of them hurt.

"I hardly think it's matchmaking when it's so obvious how both of them feel. But if it makes you feel any better, I won't hurt them. May's one of my best friends and I'll be damned if she gets her heart broken by that boy." Dawn indignantly responded. She could have sworn she saw the edges of Paul's lips twitch up.

_tbc_


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm trying to get back in the swing of things guys, I promise. Look, at least I updated within a couple of weeks! I've just been in a funk so I decided to take the heat off by writing. Hopefully this offers a perspective into each of our characters' lives, especially Dawn, Paul, May, Gary, and Drew, the characters that I'd really like to focus on in this series. **

_**SPOILER ALERT: THERE'S GOING TO BE A SEQUEL, IF YOU ALREADY COULDN'T TELL**_

**I'm very excited to get on with this story and hopefully finish it by the end of the year. If all goes well, I should be able to because I have an idea of where I want to take the next story, which will focus a lot on Misty and some other characters, but will still include all our favorites. Just so you know, this story will cover the entire school year, so up to June in my THSS universe, so the next story will take place in the summer. It'll probably be much much shorter and then a third story will cover the next school year and so on. **

**Anyway, thanks for sticking with me guys. I received a very heartwarming review by someone who told me they've read my story for years and always check back. It's for you guys that I write :)**

**Now enough of my incessant rambling, and let's get on with the story!**

**All my love,**

**Deepika**

* * *

**_Chapter 16_**

"Does this dress look good?" Johanna asked her daughter. Dawn looked up from the vanity and sighed as her mother showed her another dress. Shaking her head, Dawn responded,

"It looks as good as the other twelve dresses you've shown me mother. Honestly, it's just a dinner with friends." Johanna looked aghast at that thought.

"Dawn, if you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a socialite town and it is important to make a good first impression. Dawn rolled her eyes but turned around nonetheless.

"The black one Mom. Black is always classy. Just pair it with a maroon belt or something, and you'll be the pinnacle of fashion." Dawn giggled and turned back to her makeup. Her mother was right, she had to grudgingly admit. No matter how much her friends tried to downplay it, they were part of a socialite town, and that meant party after party after party. Dawn sometimes wondered how they all kept track of it, but then she realized that parents probably had it worse. She also tried not to notice the many cameras that followed her and the other Eeveeites around. There was a good chance that if she searched her name on the internet, she would find multiple pictures of herself.

"Oh, I just want to impress your friends is all. Not to mention the whole town. It's just like us to become the center of media attention after your father," Johanna fretted. Dawn sighed, unwilling to admit this fact as well. Whether she liked it or not, her missing father was another huge story the media were dying to get their grubby hands on. Dawn sighed, looked away uncomfortably.

"I thought we were past this Mom. This was the reason we moved to LaRousse, to get a fresh start," Dawn responded, hands trembling. With a shaky sigh, Dawn put down her makeup. It would do no good to sink back into the past like this. LaRousse was a fresh start, a place to bury memories. Her mother put trembling hands on her shoulders, giving them a good squeeze. Dawn leaned back into the warm familiarity of her mother and took a few deep breaths.

"We're fine Dawn. Where we are, what he did will never hurt us. We're safe, we're fine." Johanna chanted this like a mantra, and although she was trying to comfort Dawn, Dawn couldn't help but feel she was trying to convince herself.

oOoOoOo

The original four friends were once again cooking for Thanksgiving. Drew held back a sigh, reminding himself that this happened every year. He felt a delicate petite hand squeeze his and he looked up to see the beautiful brunette Oak flash him a dazzling smile. Swallowing and attempting to slow down his rapidly beating heart, Drew squeezed back, sending a smirk and hair flick her way. Although it probably seemed rather arrogant of him (which it really was), he knew that this was their way of comforting each other and telling one another that it would be ok. Although he hadn't received the call yet, he knew that his parents would once again bail on him. May had seemed to pick up on this as well, for she started teasing him relentlessly, making fun of his cooking skills. Gary and Misty sensed May's attempts to distract him and Drew felt an overwhelming love for his best friends.

"Hey, with your cooking, you might as well give up your coordinating dreams and just become a chef," Misty grinned, shoving Drew's shoulder lightly. The brunette male Oak sent a smug smirk his way as well.

"Or just become a house husband. I hear the ladies _love_ a man who can cook," Gary snorted, suggestively waggling his eyebrows. The two girls in the room snorted as well then began to giggle uncontrollably until all four of them were unable to stop laughing. Gary pouted. "What? I was being serious. Come on May, back me up! You too Red!" Gary whined and May rolled her sapphire eyes. She hauled herself onto the countertop, swinging her legs back and forth while sucking a cheek in.

"I will admit that seeing a man cook is...surprising, but really? A house husband? That's just weird," May declared. Misty nodded in agreement. "Although I suppose we should get back to cooking. That turkey isn't stuffing itself." Gary and Misty watched as May began assigning them tasks, Drew whining and protesting as loud as he could. Looking at the redhead, Gary shook his head in amusement. For all his bravado of trying to act like an adult, it was easy to forget that they were all just teenagers. "Are you even listening to me Gary?" May's shrill voice pierced his ears. Wincing, Gary attempted to appease his sister and got to his appointed task.

"Oh calm down Princess," Misty rolled her eyes, sending a good-natured smile at her best friend. May turned to the redhead, eyes determinedly flashing.

"Calm down? Calm _down_?" May shrieked, arms flapping. "Important people are coming to this dinner. We have impressions to make, reputations to hold!" May snapped, pacing like a madman. The three friends winced. This time, Gary embraced his sister and brought her over to the side.

"What is this really about May bear?" Gary asked softly, startled to see his sister so close to tears. He swallowed thickly at the pain that was apparent in her sapphire orbs. Stifling a sob, she earnestly looked at her brother, sniffling a little.

"Everything's falling apart and once, just for _once_, I'd like to have something go the way I planned it to. And I will _not_ give Laura another thing to criticize me about." Gary's brows furrowed at the name, and he appeared deeply distraught by the fact that she was still hell bent on finding approval.

"May-" Gary began but Drew smoothly cut in, whisking the brunette female away while teasing her. Sighing, Gary hoped for a peaceful dinner.

oOoOoOo

Paul Shinji hated people. Scratch that, he hated people who were decidedly fake and put on a mask to flirt their way through society. Thus, he loathed going to these stupid events, even dinners such as Thanksgiving. He remembered a time when it was just a couple of families having dinner at a nice house. Then the media came into play and ever since then, it just became a show for tens of cameras following their every move. Plus, he was forced to wear a nice shirt and pants- Paul absolutely _despised_ dressing up.

Footsteps were heard behind him and Paul sucked in a deep breath before plastering on a fake smile for his mother. He turned around and tried not to grimace- this was a hard time for his mother. His poor, poor beautiful mother who had become a shell of herself ever since..._the accident_, italics needed. Ever since that day, the spark in her eye had faded and she had seemed to age beyond her years. Paul steeled himself, knowing he needed to be the strong one, now that... Paul gathered his mother in his arms and rocked her back and forth. From experience, he knew that putting on a mask was a tiring façade and to have to do it for almost every waking moment was truly painful for her.

"Oh Paul, what are we going to do? I can't face cameras like this," Andrea sighed. Paul growled- just another reason why he hated being in a rich town with a bunch of rich people. Not that all of them were bad, namely the Eeveeites (he cringed at the name) and their counterpart guys. Andrea let go of her son then shook her head and smiled brightly. "Now then, is that Dawn girl going to be there?" she questioned him, secretly thrilled when she saw the smallest of reactions from him. Perhaps her son would finally find someone to open up to.

"Mother, please. Yes, she's going to be there but you know how it is with new people. Never know what they do or what they're hiding," Paul responded, eyes narrowing into chips of coal. Seeing the slightly hurt look from his mother, however, Paul surrendered. "I find her...interesting. No one has ever reacted to things like her or seen the world from her point of view. It's...fascinating."

"Well dear, let's just go and see how this plays out," Andrea replied, for once excited to see how things would go today.

oOoOoOo

Dawn was the first of the Eeveeites to arrive at the Hayden mansion. Unable to stop from gawking when she first laid eyes upon the gigantic house, Dawn managed to gather her wits and enter the house gracefully, her burgundy dress nicely complimenting the room that was clearly only used a few times a year. A butler greeted her at the door and led her to the kitchen where May, Misty, Gary, and Drew were all sitting down and talking.

May looked absolutely gorgeous in her mustard yellow three-quarter sleeved dress that ended mid thigh. Paired with some leggings and knee high boots, May looked like the Princess she was. She adorned her typical charm bracelet along with some diamond earrings. Her hair was curled and worn down.

Misty, likewise, played her part to perfection as well. Wearing a hunter green V-neck dress that flared out and ended mid thigh and some thick black tights, the usual tomboy looked stunning. She wore a pair of tan flats and had her hair in a high ponytail. It was safe to say that both guys had eyes on the girls today.

Dawn wore her strapless burgundy dress that flared out and ended at her mid thigh. The torso portion was a dark velvet burgundy while the skirt portion of the dress was made of a soft material. She wore sheer black tights and black pumps, along with a gray cardigan over her dress. Dawn wore her hair in a half up-do and sported minimal jewelry except for her typical pieces.

"Dawn, you look gorgeous!" Misty exclaimed as she bounded over and slung an arm around her friend. "We've been hiding out her in the kitchen for a while, trying to avoid all the adults and cameras. Dawn made a small sound of understanding. Drew smirked nonchalantly.

"Welcome to Hayden manor, where the chances of being with people in the same room as you are slim to none," he drawled, earning a smack from the petite brunette beside him. "The hell was that for?" he yelped and May snorted.

"None of that nonsense today. We enjoy the day and go back to life's problems tomorrow, is that clear?" May demanded, crossing her arms, pulling off the threatening look fairly well. Gary balked at his sister's statement.

"You weren't singing that tune a few hours ago Princess," he smugly reminded her. Dawn made a mental note to ask May about that when the two of them were alone. May seethed at the comment and Drew shot a pointed glare at his best friend. "Ok, ok, never mind. Message received little sister."

"You two are such kids sometimes," Misty rolled her eyes. Dawn was glad to see that the redhead was doing much better these past few days. Gary had been spending more and more time with Leaf each day since around Halloween and it certainly wasn't easy for the love-struck orange haired girl. Other than that, Dawn also knew that Misty was feeling pressure from all sides. She had a huge swim meet coming up and her family situation (that Dawn still didn't know about) wasn't bringing her any joy. "But anyway, how surprised were you when you first saw the house?" Misty laughed and apparently the four original friends shared an inside joke when they all laughed.

"Suffice to say, we were all shell shocked when we first saw this house. Actually, May over here had the challenge to run around the entire house once," Gary snorted at four year old May's antics. May glared at her brother, swatting Drew's hands away. Dawn giggled.

"Yea well, I've seen a lot of strange things in my lifetime so I kind of learn to internalize it. But I must admit, this house is super impressive. Not to add on to your ego or anything," Dawn quickly added as she saw Drew's smirk. The green haired boy sighed and wistfully looked out the window that led out to the giant garden maze.

"It's a big house for just three people," Drew muttered and May, who was facing the other way, crossed her arms and frowned, her eyes suddenly filling up with anger. The opening door was the only reprieve from the oncoming tirade from the female Oak.

"Hey, hey, how goes it?" Blaze called as she pushed the French doors open and let herself and Aisha in. Blaze was dressed in a black wrap dress with black tights and black combat boots. She had a gray wool cardigan over her dress and her short hair seemed to shine brighter. Aisha, on the other hand, wore a tan skin tone dress with some sheer black tights and flats. Paul was the next one to come in and then the remaining boys until the kitchen was filled with ten teenagers.

"So uh...why are we still hanging out in the kitchen again? Not that I mind of course, just curious," Dawn piped up, after an hour spent in the giant kitchen that was probably half the size of a one bedroom apartment. May sniffed, playing with hair- a tell that Dawn had learned meant 'nervous' or 'anxious'.

"Well first of all, it's because there's absolutely nothing to do except listen to adults talk. And who wants to do that? Plus, we get to avoid everyone except for our friends. And actually, the real reason we hang out here is because the media isn't allowed anywhere near the kitchen. They usually hide out near the windows, as creepy as that seems and some are invited in. But a lot of them just end up spending their Thanksgiving on Drew's lawn."

"Haven't you ever wondered why there are so few pictures of us?" Aisha asked and Dawn felt herself blushing at her stupidity. Aisha smiled gently. "It's alright, I'm just glad you weren't one of those people who immediately tried to search us up after meeting us. That would have been weird." Rocky, being his typical self, piped up,

"Does anyone know when we're eating?" Nine pairs of eyes stared at him, blankly. Pouting, the Hispanic boy sank in his seat, Byron at his side, chuckling.

"For the first time, I agree with Rocky. What _are_ the parents doing?" Byron asked, running his hand through his spiky blonde hair, then uncomfortably tugging at his dress shirt. It was clear that he was not used to wearing such constricting clothes. Blaze's brows furrowed as she stood up and went to go to the door, but Drew was quick to stop her.

"I'll go. If anything, I'll just take a quick peek outside and see what's the holdup. We've never been in her for so long," Drew replied, walking to the French doors and opening them. The door closed behind him. Five minutes had passed and Drew still had not returned. May, obviously worried, got up to the door to see what was wrong. Dawn, not knowing what to do, stayed where she was, quietly conversing with Aisha who was trying to keep things calm. Since May didn't close the door completely, the friends were able to hear voices floating from the beyond the kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" Drew's voice was saying, chilling Dawn to the bone. She had never heard the green haired boy sound so unwelcoming and cold. "You guys hadn't said you were coming, not that it's anything new."

"Andrew, your mother and I spent a very long time on the flight, so I would appreciate it if the cameras would _shut off_!" With that, there was a loud commotion and doors were slammed. Gary cursed under his breath.

"Oh Arceus, his parents are here," Gary murmured. Dawn looked at everyone confusedly.

"Why is that such a big deal? I thought we wanted his parents here, or he would at least be happy to be spending Thanksgiving with them." Misty sighed, looking through the doors sympathetically.

"It's not like he doesn't _want_ to see them, per say, it's just that Drew's father tends to cause a lot of drama wherever he goes. And part of that is due to both of his upbringing. Let's just say that he truly believes in the 'pure blood' kind of rich people," Misty grimaced. Aisha continued.

"Basically, Mr. Hayden doesn't think we deserve to be Drew's friends. The only one he marginally approves of is Gary and May and that's only because Drew's known them for so long. Even Misty gets insulted by him."

"Sounds like a load of bull crap," Dawn snapped, getting up. Blaze immediately jumped and held her back.

"Whoah there Sunshine, let's not get hasty. Let's give the two of them a few minutes. If there's anyone who can calm Mr. Hayden down, it's May."

oOoOoOo

"Mr. Hayden, Mrs. Hayden, it's so good to see you again," May smiled politely albeit tightly. The four of them were standing at the front door, Drew's parents still in their coats. The rest of the parents were waiting in the dining hall, which was a couple of rooms away. Drew's mother was the first to react, stepping up to hug the petite brunette she had known for almost a decade now.

"Oh May dear, you know better than to use formalities. Jennifer and Warren will suffice," the dirty blonde haired woman replied, giving a nervous smile at her husband. May knew that she hated the mass amount of media attention he brought on to the family. Although she was a famous model, Warren's business status and dealings seemed to garner most of the media attention, not to mention the hateful comments he spouted off about different groups of people. All in all, he seemed to exude controversy.

"Well Jennifer, I'm so glad you were able to make it. I know Drew is too," May beamed, elbowing Drew in the ribs. With a soft yelp, he looked up and smiled genuinely at his mother. He embraced her tightly, squeezing her shoulders.

"It really is nice to see you Mom. I did miss you," Drew said softly. Jennifer sighed happily and let go of her gorgeous son to look at the brunette standing loyally next to him. Although she knew that nothing had happened between them romantically (yet, she hoped), something had changed between the two of them and they seemed closer than ever. Warren sighed, shrugging off his coat, hat, gloves, and scarf, calling for a butler who immediately scurried forward to collect all their outerwear.

"May, it is rather nice to see you. Are you and Andrew still chasing that silly coordinating dream of yours?" And there it was. There was silence in the foyer except for Drew's sharp inhale of breath and Jennifer's almost silent groan. May's smile faded a bit but it remained plastered on her face.

"I don't believe it is a silly dream Mr. Hayden. Honestly, it's becoming more and more of a reality. Drew and I are actually the top in our school and I myself have been looking at several coordinating competitions around Hoenn. If I'm not mistaken, coordinating itself is becoming a career field of its own," May replied confidently. Warren sighed as he stepped forward and away from the door. Jennifer warily followed behind him, ready to break apart the fight that could potentially break out between Drew and her husband.

"It's just such a shame that you and Andrew both can't see what viable careers you two hold in your family businesses. Why, just take Gary as an example. Researching runs in the Oak blood. Just as you should really think of the offer I made you a couple of months ago young man," Warren turned his attention to Drew, who cringed inside as his father used his full name several times and May's eyes went wide. He knew he was in for it, especially when he hadn't told her about his father issues. More than though, he grit his teeth as his father once again insulted May. Just as the beautiful brunette had said, coordinating was becoming a big thing in all the regions and his father had no right to insult her. Drew's eyes flashed as he opened his mouth to rebuke his father. Seeing the oncoming argument about to start, Jennifer intervened.

"Drew, Warren, May, how about we all go to the dining hall where all the other are waiting? I'm sure they're starving by now," the blonde haired model suggested, ushering Warren to the dining hall. Soon, Drew and May were left alone. The green haired boy turned to his best friend and sighed regretfully.

"Sorry about my father," he grimaced, wrapping his arms around the tiny brunette's waist. Leaning into the hug, May wrapped her arms around his broad shoulder, nestling her head in the crook of his neck.

"No need; he was insulting you as well and I couldn't just let that stand," May replied softly, once again shocking Drew. How did he ever get so lucky as to find the little girl who hurt her knee that day? "I'm just glad he didn't start on all our friends." Slowly detaching herself from him, May smiled at him and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the dining room. Neither of them had ever been so thankful that cameras weren't in the room.

When the two of them arrived, all eyes were on them and Drew's parents. Never before had the Hayden duo made an appearance in the time that Dawn, Blaze, Misty, Aisha, and Gary and May's families during Thanksgiving. May smiled tightly again as she took her seat near her mother and stepfather, who were once again not talking to each other. Dawn, Gary, and Drew were the only people to notice the coldness between her family for there was much tension at the table. Blaze seemed to reached a stalemate with her parents for they were basically ignoring each other while Aisha sat quietly under her mother and father's strict and steady gazes. Byron and Rocky's families were happily talking to each other, either painfully oblivious or tactfully avoiding the impending drama that was sure to ensue. Drew was obviously shocked that his parents had actually come, Paul and his mother were talking quietly, and Misty and her sisters were trying to make small talk. Dawn and Johanna seemed to be the only people who weren't smothered in tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. Everyone seemed to be waiting until Gary sent a meaningful look to Drew, for once in his life looked startled. With widened eyes, he stood up and held up his glass looking at the giant table in front of him.

"On behalf of my parents and I," Drew began, quickly glancing to his father and mother, "we'd like to thank you for being here. Now obviously, it's a bit different, seeing as how we have two honored guests here, but I'd also like that to be a reminder that we should take nothing for granted. We should appreciate each and every person in our lives no matter how small of an influence they make on us. We should especially by thankful for the ones that make a huge difference in our lives because without them, we'd be nowhere." As Drew gave his speech, his eyes sought out each of his friends', his gaze lingering on first a certain brunette, but then, surprisingly, a certain blue haired girl. "We should take this time to give a silent prayer to not only our family, but the people who have fought to make the world we live in a better place. May we have another prosperous year, cheers." Drew concluded his speech by holding up his glass, the others at the table mimicking his movement. Jennifer seemed to have glassy eyes as she listened to her son, all grown up, make the traditional speech. Clearing her throat, she stood up.

"And now, without further ado, let us feast!"

* * *

_tbc_


	17. Chapter 17

**A short but heavy chapter that delves into Dawn and Paul's relationship and a bit of Dawn's past. **

**On a lighter note, I'm happy that I'm managing to update quite frequently now. I hope all of you enjoy this chapter! Also, thank you all for so many reviews last chapter :D It's good to see that I still have readers and no worries, I'm taking all of your constructive criticism and trying to incorporate it into this story. **

**Now enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the chapter!**

* * *

_Chapter 17_

After the incredibly awkward Thanksgiving dinner with the Haydens, things seemed to go into a lull. December and Christmas were right around the corner which meant the weeks leading up to the best holiday would be extremely busy shopping wise. Other than that, all Dawn had to look forward to was the copious amount of work that was undoubtedly going to be given and then the holiday break. Dawn was currently walking to Paul's house once again to finish the project that was due just before winter break. Although they had plenty of time to complete it, Dawn was not one for procrastinating and keeping things on the back burner for long. Plus, she figured she was doing Paul a favor- getting this over with so they wouldn't have to keep seeing each other a lot anymore.

Although she was usually very good at reading people, she just couldn't get a read on Paul Shinji. The boy was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. The bluenette could tell that there was a part of the purple haired boy that was untrusting and bleak, the part that seemed to shine through whenever he was out in public. But there were several moments when Dawn had been privy to the part of Paul that was eager to finally find a friend to relate to, someone he could trust. Although she wanted to be the person that Paul could trust, she didn't want to push him and ultimately have him pull away, which she knew would happen if they kept seeing each other for hours on end for a project.

Finally reaching his door and knocking, Dawn was startled to see a zombie-like Andrea with bleary eyes and a short dressing gown. Unable to say anything, Dawn opened and closed her mouth, finally opting for a polite smile and a step back. Footsteps were heard echoing in the house as Paul bounded down the stairs, yelling for his mother not to answer the door... Paul froze when he saw Dawn at the door, his expression becoming a steely coal black and Dawn couldn't help the shiver that passed through her. She so badly wanted to tell Paul that his mother hadn't said a word but she knew he wouldn't be the type who would listen so she decided to stay quiet.

"Come in Troublesome. Don't mind my mom, she just had a rough day yesterday," Paul gruffly broke thought her thoughts. Blushing from being caught in a daydream, Dawn quickly entered the house, trying to not to follow Andrea Shinji as she slowly walked up the stairs and into the giant room that was presumably hers. "But seriously Troublesome, I'm sorry for my mother. As you know, she's usually not like this." Dawn smiled gently, feeling the very strange urge to reassure him that everything was fine.

"It's alright, it's not like she said much in the first place. Anyhow, we all have rough days, hers just happened today. No need to worry," Dawn smiled brightly, bounding over to the computer room where they would be working. Paul sighed looking at her retreating figure, eyes filled with out of character sadness and guilt.

"But that's when I worry the most..."

oOoOoOo

They spent the next couple of hours working on the project and then eventually gave up. By now, it was lunch time and Dawn was absolutely starving. Paul decided to order takeout since it was the easiest and the two teenagers had fallen into a comfortable conversation that had gradually lulled to a pause in the conversation that was surprisingly not awkward. They had been talking about school life and how junior year, one of the most stressful years, was treating Paul. The purple haired boy had responded and it was the longest conversation they had engaged in to date. Now that she had gotten him talking, Dawn couldn't help but feel more drawn to him. Despite his usual stony state, having Paul talk to her like this made him actually seem human and she felt that she could actually be friends with someone like him. A ghost of a smile had graced his face a couple of times as he regaled her with the antics the boys got into. They had started talking about the boys and then somehow started talking about the boys' feelings for Dawn's friends.

"Well it's fairly obvious how they each feel about a certain girl," Dawn insisted, ignoring the blank stare that Paul was giving her. He sighed and leaned back on the sofa seat, their work abandoned for the time being.

"I just don't understand why you care so much. Things like love are so...fleeting and statistics say that at least half of high school relationships will never last," Paul admitted, causing Dawn's cobalt eyes to widen. Jaw slack, she slowly turned to face Paul.

"You... I have absolutely no words. How can you...look at the world like that? Where is the hope and the optimism? I believe that love prevails and that if the love is pure, then it can last a long time," Dawn explained. Paul let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head in an almost pitiful manner.

"Still so innocent, it's unbelievable," Paul responded, causing the smile on Dawn's face to fall. What could have happened that caused him to see the world like that? "But anyway, you should really stay out of it. We don't need someone like you meddling about with friendships, Troublesome." Dawn rolled her eyes, ignoring Paul and his comments. It was at that moment that Andrea, Paul's mother, decided to drop in.

"Hi! Paul, sweetheart, would you mind helping me in the kitchen?" Andy asked. Paul was about to respond to his mother's request when Dawn stood up and brushed off her jeans.

"No need to worry, I can help. Just show me where the kitchen is and I'll be glad to be of service!" Masking her surprised look well, Andrea led Dawn into the gorgeous modern styled kitchen. However, Dawn couldn't help but notice, it was almost _too_ immaculate. There were barely any pictures or memorabilia that usually had a place in a very well used room. The counters and appliances were spotless, almost to the point where Dawn could basically surmise that no one used the kitchen that often. It had a cold and oppressive air about it and Dawn quickly put a smile on her face before anyone noticed anything.

"So, have you two made headway on your project?" Paul's mother quietly asked. Dawn looked up, startled by even the soft noise, having gotten used to the silence of the kitchen. Nodding, the bluenette turned around to have a better look at Andrea Shinji. Unlike how she had first perceived her, Andrea looked bone-tired, with shadows under her eyes. Her thin figure was almost unhealthily thing and her cheekbone definition seemed to be due to the gauntness of her face. Swallowing, Dawn tried for some normality.

"We have. I also got to chat with him, which is something he doesn't do very often. You know, back when I first met him a couple of months ago, I didn't look at him in a clear light and almost thought he was one of those stuck-up, snobby rich kids, y'know? But now...having had the opportunity to talk to him throughout these past couple of months as well as just hanging around the people in our friend group has really opened my eyes." Andrea looked up, astonished at the young girl in front of her.

"Have you now?" Andrea smiled wanly and took the food she had been making for the two children out of the oven. Dawn nodded once more and made a small noise of affirmation, grabbing the kitchen towel to aid in taking the hot tray out of the still hot oven.

"Yea, the one thing I've learned is to not judge people by their appearances or sometimes even their actions. People think that just because you're rich or you have a lot of money, that you seem to have your entire life under control- that there's no possible way to have problems or experience 'normal' problems that 'normal' people have. But that's wrong because I've experienced that myself. And that's the only reason that I know that it was wrong to even think that I could judge your son like that. Besides, it's nice getting to know him better, even if it's small things that seem trivial." Dawn delivered her entire speech while tending to the snacks and looking down. Andrea shook her head, amazed at the pure intelligence of this young girl. Paul had done well in choosing his friends, especially this one. Andrea could already tell that she was a special one.

"Well, I'm glad you've learned all that. And I think it is important to remember that, especially in this town. You can especially see the double edged sword with the Oak and Hayden families. Honest to Arceus, I can't for the life of me begin to even understand the politics and manipulation that seems to go on in this town. For Mew's sake, sometimes it feels like we're in the middle of a terrible soap opera," Andrea laughed. Dawn grimaced and shrugged, knowing that she felt the same way as well. "I find it very sad how those three children can't live normal lives and have to watch where they go and what they say."

"I think that's the same with all of us Mrs. Shinji, or maybe it's just this town. Sometimes I try to remember what if feels like to not have been in the spotlight, but I really can't. Even though I've only lived in LaRousse for a short amount of time, it feels like years due to all the appearances we're all forced to keep up. I feel like the only time I can be myself is in the safety of the school and my home, but that's it," Dawn sighed, now moving on to washing the dishes.

"How is your mother, by the way? I haven't seen her since the almost disaster that was the Hayden Thanksgiving dinner. And that was what? Two weeks ago?" Dawn grinned at the mention of her mother. For all that had happened, her mother was incredibly strong and Dawn was proud of her mother for staying as she was and not succumbing to the media attention of this highly reported city.

"Mom's great, yea. She's been managing her tea shop just fine and I'm happy that she has something to look forward to in the day, since retiring and all that. It's fun, helping her out all the time, y'know? I've had so much work that a lot of the days I don't even get to help out," Dawn replied. "But I waitress during my free time so it's a nice way to contribute to something that's getting very popular, from what I've been hearing around town." Andrea smiled, finally having gotten everything ready for dinner and having finished setting the table. She wiped her hands on her apron and turned to the bluenette who was just finishing up placing utensils and cups at each placemat.

"You're staying for dinner right?" Andrea asked and Dawn looked up, seemingly stunned. In all honesty, this wasn't the craziest thing that had happened to her but being asked by someone's mother, of a guy no less, to stay for dinner just seemed absurdly weird and surprisingly normal- Dawn loved it. With a bit of persuasion, Andrea managed to coax Dawn into staying for not only dinner, but also a lovely dessert.

Before leaving, Dawn was pulling on her coat and shoes and was shocked when Andrea swept her up into a bone-crushing hug. Hugging the older woman, Dawn looked up to see Paul's mother near tears as she leaned into Dawn's ear to whisper, "I'm so glad he found you"

oOoOoOo

Dawn walked home with a swooping feeling in her stomach. For some reason, she found it amazing that someone approved of _her_ and only _her_. There was no façade or mask needed and there was need to watch her words for fear that someone might be listening, or at least less than normal. It felt so good, so right, to have dinner with Andrea and Paul, and not at all awkward like she had originally thought it would be. However, Dawn knew that couldn't be the case. Today was just an usual day because from experience the bluenette knew that things like this couldn't and wouldn't remain in happy medium. Dawn was the type of person who was always dealt a bad deal of cards and she just had to ride it out like usual.

The bluenette expelled her dark thoughts the moment she approached her house, knowing that her mother needed her. As she opened the door to their modestly sized home, Dawn could immediately hear the sniffles coming from the other room. Holding back her sigh of frustration, Dawn trudged over to the closet where she knew her mother stuffed old photo albums pre-disaster time. "Mom? What are you doing?" Dawn asked softly, approaching the hunched over figure like she would a terrified animal. Despite her attempts to be as gentle as she could and not startle her mother, Johanna jumped and whimpered, having been startled from her deep thoughts.

"Oh, sweetheart, I didn't hear you come in." Johanna laughed, voice thick and face covered by her blue hair. Dawn sighed and sat next to her mother, looking at the album her mother held over her lap. The retired coordinator was looking at a picture of her and Dawn's father while Johanna was pregnant with Dawn. Sucking in a shuddering breath, Johanna flipped to the next page which showed Dawn's father pushing Dawn on a swing when she was just about a year old. Tracing a finger over the man's face in the picture, Johanna sighed wistfully, "Seems just like yesterday that you were one and we were all happy." Breathing out through her teeth, Dawn gently took the album from her mother and closed it, putting it back on the shelf.

"Mom, you know it's not worth looking back on times like that. What Dad did was wrong and even if we do ever decide to forgive him for all he has done to us and our family, then that's good. But we moved here to let go of the past and begin a new chapter. But we'll never be able to if we keep coming back to this closet. Now come on, how about I make you some tea and we can watch some trashy gossip shows?" Dawn asked, gently prodding her emotionally unstable mother into a standing position and then leading her out of the closet and then hallway.

"But...if we could just visit him, and let him explain himself, Dawn, I know he didn't mean to! He was threatened, he was coerced into doing those things!" Johanna let out a strangled sob and Dawn grit her teeth, having heard all of this in the years before she had learned to steel herself and remember that her father was a terrible man.

"There is no excuse for ruining other people's lives, let alone ours. Now come on, we're getting some nice tea and then we're going to bed and forgetting about this whole thing. Johanna was sobbing at this point and Dawn had to shut herself from crying as well. She hated when her mother did this and felt like this, but she needed to understand the truth and that the man she married wasn't the same man who was currently where he belonged- a place where he could no longer ruin people's lives.

_tbc_

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**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please be sure to follow, favorite, and review! Your comments mean the world to me!**

**~Deepika**


	18. Chapter 18

**No worries guys, I didn't forget about you! Sorry about the late update; it's been a hectic couple of weeks. I actually got most of this chapter done but then got swamped down with work before I could finish it. Well here you guys go; a long, Misty/Aisha centric chapter that kind of delves into their pasts and their family life. Thanks for sticking with me throughout the years guys, it means a lot! I less that 3 you all!**

**Now enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

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_Chapter 18_

_.:._

Misty sighed as she woke up to an empty house. Although it was nothing different, she hated the oppressive silence her giant house contained and it created a pit of anxiousness whenever she was left in the house alone. The redhead fondly remembered a time when her Saturdays included waking up early to watch cartoons and then making breakfast with her three older sisters before their parents woke up.

But then the accident happened and her parents were lost to a plane crash, becoming mere memories. Over the years, it seemed like they hadn't existed, mostly because Misty had been very young when this had happened. At first it had seemed ok; Daisy had taken the role of the mother, raising her three younger sisters. Then, as they all became older, Daisy, Violet, and Lily started to become distant and more career-oriented, focusing more on themselves rather than the still young Misty, who had learn how to fend for herself.

None of her friends excluding May and Gary knew how bad her family life really was back in Cerulean, and even present day. Misty was essentially a teenager living on her own while her sisters travelled the world and put on their 'Sensational Sisters' show. While living in Cerulean City, Misty had been forced to give up her traveling dreams and become Kanto's youngest gym leader at the tender age of ten. Not able to cope with the stress that had come with the constant challenging, battling, and stress, Misty experienced a break down and made the executive decision to step down as gym leader. No one had known, not even her sisters, who had spited her the moment _they_ had been forced to come back and stand as gym leaders. Finally, they managed to get their cousin to take over the gym so Misty was able to move to Pallet Town and finally LaRousse where she now lived.

Sighing to herself, Misty got out of bed and padded into the bathroom, knowing that she had to get ready or at least make herself presentable. Sighing, she frowned when she saw herself in the mirror, unhappy with what she saw there. Hair too wiry, skin too pale, hips too wide, chest not big enough. Shaking her head, Misty proceeded to go through her morning routine, attempting to pretend that all was right and that her life wasn't a complete mess. At times like these, she would normally call Gary or May but Gary was almost always spending his free time with Leaf Hana and May was probably doing something with school or spending time with Drew.

Not knowing who else to call, Misty picked up her Pokedex and proceeded to text Dawn if she wanted to hang out. Dawn was the last person to judge her and she would know exactly what to say or what to do. After texting the bluenette, who had responded with an affirmative answer, Misty was left to her own devices once again.

As they always did, her thoughts began to drift to Gary, the boy she had fallen for in the past nine or so years. It was never good to think about him because she always ended up remembering that he was head over heels for Leaf and not her. Some days, it was so easy to think that Gary liked _her_, the runt of the family, the goose in the midst of all the swans. She used to think they had a chance, back when Leaf hadn't been in the picture. They had been super close and Misty had almost been sure that their relationship could go somewhere until Gary came to her one day and told her about the pretty new transfer student named Leaf Hana. Like Misty, Leaf came from a history of battling, and her family was extremely battle oriented. However, Leaf decided to opt for the more athletic side of school and had joined the cheerleading squad while also dabbling in a bit of good charity. Thinking about Gary never led to anything good, but Misty couldn't help but remember the way his charcoal eyes would sparkle whenever he talked about his latest research find or he just let Misty talk about her life and things that were bothering her.

The chime of the doorbell jarred Misty out of her thoughts, and she quickly sprinted to the door to open it for Dawn, who gave her a bright smile as soon as their eyes met. Misty returned the smile and proceeded to step aside to let Dawn into her house. Misty watched as the bluenette surveyed the house, analyzing it as if she would get any information about Misty or Misty's life that she had purposely not revealed to anyone except May and Gary.

"So what's up? Why did you ask to meet, not that I'm complaining or anything? You literally got me out of having to do this stupid art project that is completely unnecessary and won't help with anything I want to do in the future," Dawn scoffed, causing Misty to snort.

"Yea, that's basically the definition of school. Half the things we learn will never be used in life, isn't that great?" Misty sarcastically replied, turning her back and walking to the living room, and conveniently missing the furrowed look that had formed on Dawn's face. Swallowing hard, Misty occupied herself with making brunch for Dawn, since Misty had already eaten her breakfast. Knowing the type of personality Dawn had, Misty knew it was inevitable that the questions would begin to pour out of the newest Eeveeite's mouth. Subconsciously, Misty knew that this was probably needed, and the healthy thing to do would be to vent out everything.

"Mist is everything ok? I'm pretty sure you didn't call me over just to have brunch," Dawn finally asked, knowing that her curiosity couldn't be quelled for long. Misty sighed and sat at one of the barstools that was stationed at the island. Resting her head in the cradle of her folded arms on the table, Misty took a deep breath and sighed, knowing that she couldn't hide the truth for long.

"No...everything's not ok. And I hope you don't mind that I won't share everything in my life with you, but it's just my family, and school, and..." Misty trailed off, still unwilling to say the real thing that was bothering her. Dawn however, was persistent.

"And...?" the bluenette prompted. Misty exhaled loudly once more.

"It's Gary. God Dawn, I don't think you understand. He's in my head, _constantly_. It's like an annoying bug that won't stop clinging on to me, no matter what I do to shake it off. I try to tell myself to move on because he has another girl now or at the very least, just try to come to terms with the fact that he won't like me like I like him." Now that Misty had begun talking, it was like she couldn't stop. "And there's this crazy amount of jealousy that I'm feeling towards Leaf, and I know why, but I don't know why. Maybe it's because she's a thousand times better than me, or maybe it's because she's insanely smart and I know that I'll never compare. Maybe it's because she's the perfect package just wrapped up into a gorgeous girl that everyone falls in love with!"

"But Misty," Dawn replied, incredulously. "You're amazing too, don't forget. You seem to undermine yourself all the time and you forget how awesome you really are! You know, when I first met you guys, I thought that this town would be filled with all these rich and spoiled people, but I've learned that all of you, at least in this group, have a huge heart and an amazing personality. I don't think any of you realize that you are part of the most beautiful, talented, and insanely smart group of girls I have ever met. And if it turns out that Gary doesn't like you how you think he doesn't like you, then that boy is nuts because if I were a guy, I would be head over heels for you, if that's any consolation." Misty laughed as she made pancakes and scrambled eggs. The redhead looked up at the bluenette, a tint of seriousness clouding her eyes.

"I'm so glad we met you Dawn, and I'm so glad you moved in next to May. You make our group complete and I actually don't know what we would do without you. Thank you for being you I guess." Misty smiled brightly as Dawn returned the smile. The redhead didn't notice that the blue haired girl's smile had been slightly forced. "Now eat up, I made this especially for you."

Dawn happily accepted the meal, noting that Misty still looked tense and upset. It seemed that the redhead was even more affected than she and her friends had previously thought. The house that Misty was living in was also surprisingly quiet for a Saturday morning. Knowing about the famous Sensational Sisters, Dawn was almost inclined to ask about where the other three Waterflower girls were but ultimately decided against it due to the fact that Misty looked miserable even coming near the topic of family. Dawn's heart ached for the clearly struggling girl but she knew that each and every one of her friends had their own demons to fight and Misty was no exception. Dawn was eager to drift into a different realm of conversation.

"So how's swimming going? Last I heard, you made it onto the team and you guys are practicing hard for an upcoming competition?" Dawn asked as she munched on a piece of pancake. Misty smiled and looked revealed, as an excited glow illuminated her face. Dawn couldn't help but match that enthusiasm, the happiness infectious.

"Yea, we're getting ready for the Shore Regionals; it's one out of the two main competitions the swimming team competes in. It's really exciting because I'm on junior varsity, so I'll be swimming with the big fish, so to speak," the redhead grinned, almost puffing out her chest in pride. Dawn grinned, happy for her friend.

"That's awesome, I'm so happy for you!" Dawn exclaimed, raising her glass of orange juice as a mock toast. Misty dipped her head in acknowledgement and in gratitude- Dawn was truly a great friend and one of a kind. Smiling, Dawn continued chattering, not really having anything specific to talk about. "You know, this kind of beats breakfast back at the tea shop. Mom makes really good breakfast, but it's always nice to have a break from her cooking. Have you ever had any family traditions?" Dawn blabbed, not even catching herself until the words were out of her mouth. Frozen in shock, Dawn turned beet red and looked down quickly. "I... I am _so_ sorry! I didn't mean to ask that because I know you like to keep your family stuff insanely private-"

"It's fine Dawn," Misty responded quietly, knowing the bluenette didn't mean to say what she did. "And yea, when my parents were still alive, I used to get up super early to watch cartoons and then help my parents make breakfast, especially Dad's world-class famous Moo Moo Milk pancakes, that are literally out of this world!" the redhead recalled nostalgically. Dawn smiled softly. "I would watch all these silly cartoons but then end up falling asleep on the couch. I remember my parents having to wake me up by telling me that if I helped them make breakfast, I could have seconds. Thinking back to those times, it makes you really appreciate the family you have." Dawn sighed, looking down at the floor that had suddenly become very interesting. Misty looked at the blue haired girl, eyes calculating. "I really hope you understand me not telling you about my family. It's something very personal and if it makes you feel any better, most of our friends don't know about it either." Dawn wanly smiled, a haunted look in her eyes.

"It's fine Misty, we all have our demons- some of us just wear it inside rather than outside. I know exactly how it feels to think that you're wearing a mask and you just can't afford to show people your real self." Feeling that she said too much, Dawn looked down and tightened her lips together. Misty wisely decided not to comment on it.

oOoOoOo

Aisha was so tired. After receiving a thorough yelling from her parents about her recital, she had locked herself in her room. It just wasn't fair, she thought, having such judging parents who would never be on board with her passion and career choice. It was like her parents would never listen to reason, caught up in their teachings of finding a good job that paid good money. Aisha was not above that, but she knew that she couldn't live the rest of her life prescribing people medication and checking for illness and disease. It was a morose job and something she couldn't picture doing for the next thirty or forty years. That was why she just _had_ to incorporate dancing into her job. Being without dance was literally taking the oxygen away from her, a fact that her parents didn't understand. Dancing was an extended limb, an integral part of who she was; without it, Aisha knew that she did not have a purpose in her life. The young half Indian girl truly believed that she was nothing without the dance, the one thing that allowed her to be free and express herself the way she wanted to be expressed.

Why couldn't they just be proud of what she had accomplished so far? The rest of her friends were! She had spent painstaking hours teaching those young girls dance moves and routines that were sure to impress parents and they were having fun. But all her parents could see was the future staring them in the face, which immediately set them off on a diatribe about how she would never become successful in life if she continued dancing. They couldn't see her passion because they were blinded by money and greed, wanting her to be part of this socialite town that only cared about the numbers on a paycheck and not the happiness of the people holding the checks.

Because it was true- Aisha was not happy and she knew that she could never be happy as long as she was forced to study something that she didn't want to pursue as a career. And it was with that that Aisha sat on her bed tears pouring down her normally jovial face. Her carefully applied makeup ran down her face and turned into disgusting black streaks on her face. Her carefully placed mask that tried to ignore the painful words of her parents had cracked today and they had almost seen her weakness but she couldn't let them. She couldn't let them feel like they had won because all that would show them was that she was weak, and if she was weak, what did she actually have going for her? What was she, without her brains, her looks, and her pride? In a town such as this, where did following your dreams get you? Surely everyone in this god-forsaken town was miserable and left to mope in their too-big houses and forced to flaunt their luxurious vehicles.

Aisha stopped sniffling enough to listen downstairs, and then started. It was far too silent down there and she knew that something had happened. Quickly scrubbing her face devoid of all makeup, Aisha tiptoed down the spiral staircase and stopped short of where she could be seen from downstairs. Her parents were talking to someone only for Aisha to realize it was Rocky of all people. Focusing on hearing clearly, Sha could hear her mother and father grilling the poor boy about school and his career of choice, a terrible topic to dwell on mostly because Rocky was mostly a joker and someone who definitely lived in the present instead of looking into the future as did her parents. Her parents were relentless and would have continued to interrogate him, had Aisha not rushed down the stairs to save the boy on her steps.

"Mama, Baba, what are you doing?" Aisha asked, her soft voice uncharacteristically hard; she still had not forgiven them for their hurtful comments after the dance recital. Aisha's father looked down at his daughter, disapproval clearly in his eyes. "Leave the poor boy alone, honestly, all you ever do is question my friends to no end! It's a miracle I still have friends!" she snapped. Her mother turned her steely gaze onto her daughter, who was undeterred.

"Aisha, we've already let you carry on with your silly dancing fantasy. Don't you for a second think that it is okay to lose focus on your studies by spending time with, with," her mother's hand flailed as she gestured at Rocky "with a _boy_ of all things! You have a future to think about, nana, and you can't afford to have so many dilly distractions." Aisha sighed as if this was a conversation she had with her parents all the time, which, in reality, it was.

"Mama, I _told_ you, these are not distractions and I will not grow up as you did! I have friends, and I have a life, and I plan to keep them for as long as I can! I can't just live an entire life of just studies; I've been doing that for fifteen plus years already!" Aisha then turned to Rocky, dragging him down the stairs and out of the house.

"Aisha, where are you going?" her Baba's voice boomed from behind them. Aisha studiously ignored them, stomping in her moccasins and house clothes.

oOoOoOo

Just as quickly as Dawn came, she left as well, telling the red haired girl that she had work to do and was working part time at her mother's teashop on the weekends. Misty was once again left to her own devices in her lonely home and decided to clean the house. She changed into her oldest and dirtiest clothes so her nice ones wouldn't get soiled and put on rubber gloves and wielded her weapons of wipes and disinfectant spray. She paid no mind to the time, only noting that it was late afternoon when she began her cleaning. Music blaring, Misty started cleaning and washing every surface she could find when the doorbell rang once again. Sighing to herself, Misty turned down the music and hurried over to the door and opened it, only to find a not amused Gary with crossed arms and raised eyebrows. Misty had one of those movie moments where the character looks down at what she is wearing and realizes that she looks like complete crap.

"Uh..." Misty drawled, genuinely stunned. It was very rare for Gary to show up at her doorstep looking like..._a sex god_ her mind completed for her and Misty mentally shooed the voice away; there was no need to further complicate things. Yup, no need to complicate things when the slightly sweaty and very attractive boy you've known for eight years randomly shows up at your door.

"Red, where have you _been_?" Gary asked, sounding slightly annoyed and also partially relieved. Misty guiltily realized he must have left tons of messages on her phone and had probably gotten worried that she had never answered. "I've been calling and texting all morning, and I know how early you get up!" he glared at her. Misty blushed looking down.

"Well in my defense Oak, I was with Dawn for a good portion of the morning and I've been blasting music while cleaning the house since late afternoon. Wait a moment...when did it get dark?" Misty suddenly asked, looking outside. With that adorably confused phrase, Gary lost any sense of annoyance and couldn't help but smile at the redhead. "Might as well come in Gare, no reason for you to freeze your butt off," Misty smirked, stepping aside and holding the door open for him. Gary walked in, surveying the house, automatically realizing how silent it was.

"Very quiet isn't it?" he asked softly, for some reason feeling like he needed to whisper though he knew that they were the only two in the entire house. Misty's eyes glossed over for a moment as if in a trance, but she shook herself out of it and grimaced, swallowing thickly. Nodding quickly, she busied herself in swiping at something, not wanting to talk about it. "So where are they this time?" he asked, anger seeping into his voice. It baffled him how three sisters essentially abandoned their youngest fourth sister instead deciding to travel around the world.

"Who cares?" Misty chuckled darkly, giving up on cleaning the house a second time, having since finished cleaning the entire house half an hour ago. "That would imply that they actually cared for me, which they obviously don't. At least, not anymore they don't." Gary sighed, wrapping his arms around Misty's shoulders and leading her to the living room and onto the very comfortable couch. The poor girl was exhausted and if Gary knew Misty as well as he did, then he knew that she hadn't eaten anything for quite a while. Settling her next to him, Gary rocked the redhead back and forth in attempts to calm her down. It looked like she was having one of those days again.

"Please don't say that Mist. You know that we all love and care about you. Don't let your sisters' stupidity ruin that notion for you, please," Gary pleaded with her. He felt the anger bubble in his stomach as he thought about how much this poor girl had suffered throughout the years. From what he knew, which may not even be the whole story, he knew that Daisy, Violet, and Lily had basically dumped all responsibility and burden on Misty for hopes of traveling around the world and doing their Sensational Sisters show. Which was very stupid when the most sensational sister was sitting right next to him, leaning on his shoulder.

"I don't know what to believe anymore Gary. Doesn't matter what you guys say or what you guys do. Besides, it's just one of those days anyway, where it feels like I'm being swallowed up by the world and everyone and anyone hates me. Don't you worry, I'll get over it, and we can all get on with our lives," Misty sighed into his shoulder. Gary clenched his teeth; he hated when Misty belittled herself or put her feelings on the backburner for everyone else. He told her exactly that, wanting and needing her to know that their friends and, most of all, he, loved her that he would be with her whenever she needed it. Gary felt her shaking from exhaustion and suddenly made up his mind to cook for her.

"You rest on that sofa Red, I'll make us dinner. And if I see you up and in the kitchen, I will forcibly drag you back down and make sure you stay down. But really, don't tempt me," he smirked, ignoring the protests coming out of the red haired girl's mouth. Misty glared as she watched Gary saunter out of the living room and into the adjoining kitchen, which looked over into the living room. Misty rolled over onto her back and trained her eyes to the ceiling, honestly at a loss for what to do.

"I didn't know you cooked Oak," Misty called out to him, closing her eyes. Gary's booming laughter could be heard all the way from the kitchen.

"There are many things you don't know about me Red. And cook I must because who do you think cooks when Gramps can't? May isn't there all the time and you know about Dad." Misty could hear the irritation in his voice and sighed, hating how his father and father's girlfriend never stayed in one place for a long period of time.

"Yea, how are things by the way? Last I heard was May near tears about Laura?" She could hear Gary grunt from the kitchen, but she didn't know what he was grunting about. She kept her eyes closed and imagined Gary in the kitchen with a towel draped over his shoulders and an apron around his nicely shape waist.

"Ugh, let's not even talk about it. Laura said some pretty mean stuff to May and Dawn and May refused to even enter the house when the two of them were there, which really sucks because I know how much May missed Dad. I think the old man actually loves this woman and wouldn't be opposed to tying the knot again. I can only imagine how that would play out with May. Let's face it, she'd probably flip and have an aneurism." Misty heard Gary sigh once more. "Things have been really hard for her. Apparently Mom and Norman have been fighting as well and May's scared that they're going to get a divorce or something. Told her she was crazy but you know May, quick to jump to conclusions about those types of things these days."

"And what about you? How are you doing? And I don't want to hear any talk about May; I want to hear about you. How's the research going?" Misty called out.

"Research thing is good; I think Gramps is looking for a replacement because he wants to retire soon. Not that I blame him or anything, the man deserves a break after working for more than thirty years. Gramps has literally taken me under his wing and I couldn't be happier about it." Gary replied. Misty could hear the pride and could practically hear the grin he was wearing. She smiled even though he couldn't see it.

"That's awesome Gary, I'm so happy for you. I think you'll be just as amazing as your grandfather if not better," Misty grinned. She heard Gary's amused snort. "No really, you have so much potential Gare, trust me. You're going to be great!"

The conversation carried on for about ten more minutes until Misty slowly stopped responding. After she didn't respond for several minutes, Gary trotted over to the living room couch to see what had happened, but could only smile when he realized that the girl had fallen asleep. Sighing good-naturedly and shaking his head, Gary returned to the kitchen to continue making dinner.

Naturally, his thoughts drifted towards the owner of this house and he couldn't help but feel bad for the poor girl who had spent a good part of her life alone with no one to care for her. It killed him to see her brush off affection so easily but it also warmed him with pride to see her thrive in happiness when she was with his sister and their friends. The redhead had changed so much throughout the years he had known her, from an emotionally closed off little girl, blossoming into a happier teenager. Her enthusiasm lit up the room and he was sure that Misty was one of the best performers he had ever seen in his entire life. Seeing someone who exuded so much love to her pokemon, her companions, only helped reaffirm Gary's notion that Misty deserved far more credit than what she currently had. There was no one in this universe that loved as much as Misty did and he wanted to teach those who wronged her in any point of her life a good lesson.

oOoOoOo

Aisha desperately tried to hold back the tears as she briskly walked away from her furious parents who would undoubtedly erupt at her once she came back home, but they ultimately began to fall. She made her way to the park that was a couple of streets down from where she lived, both her and Rocky walking in silence. She finally reached the playground where the little children often played but was mostly inhabited by the occasional drunk teenager.

"Sha, Sha, where are you going? Slow down!" Rocky stumbled as Sha continued to drag him. Her entire body was shaking from the anger and the tears and Rocky had no idea what to do. Finally, the tanned girl let go of her death grip on his arm and wrapped her arms around herself, making her way to the swings. Rocky sighed as he watched her sullenly pump back and forth on the swings, tears trickling down her cheeks and down her jaws. He had no idea what to do with a crying girl, let alone a crying Aisha Evans. Seeing her break down like this was not a common occurrence and he had no idea how to handle a delicate situation such as this one without cracking a few jokes, something he knew Aisha would kill him for. But seeing her like this absolutely killed him and he couldn't help but go over to her and sit next to her on the swings. However, once there, Rocky's mind blanked and he had no idea what to say. Thankfully, Aisha saved him from making an awkward comment.

"I hate my parents," she sniffled. Rocky sighed and continued to swing; he opted to chose his words carefully.

"Aw Sha, they just want what's best for you. And people have different ideas of what that 'best' path is for you," Rocky replied, his voice soft in the silence of the night. He almost hadn't realized how dark it was and almost had an epiphany of why her parents must have been so surprised. "Also, I'm sorry for causing your parents to erupt. Seeing a boy their daughter's age on the doorstep must not have been the happiest sight for them to see. They must have thought we were a couple or something. Not that it's surprising, seeing as how attractive I am." The young boy then winced at his wording, afraid that the girl next to him would begin to yell at him but he was relieved when all he heard was a giggle and then a strangled sob. Rocky turned around to see Aisha hiding behind her curtain of hair.

"I'm so tired of my parents telling me what to do. You know, all I want to do is follow my dreams, isn't that enough for them? I mean I've done everything they've ever wanted. I've studied my ass off; I've given up many of my activities...and for what? To pursue something I have absolutely no interest in?" Aisha ranted. Rocky sighed, following his instincts and reaching out to grab her hand. Aisha looked up, surprised, and swallowed thickly as the boy beside her gave her hand a squeeze.

"You know, it's only for a little while. After that, you're on your own and you can do whatever you want to do and you don't have to listen to them. And if you ever need a shoulder to lean on..." Rocky couldn't finish the thought but Aisha got the hint and her smile broadened, much to Rocky's dismay. His cheeks were flaming red hot and he swallowed audibly before nodding. Aisha turned to her friend.

"Thanks Rock, really. I actually don't know what I would have done if you weren't here tonight," Sha told him quietly. She hated to admit her weakness but she knew that without Rocky tonight, she would have gone absolutely crazy and possibly yelled something she would regret to her parents. "I know stuff like this is really hard for you but...thanks," she lamely concluded, her cheeks turning red. They really were two awkward blushing teenagers. Not really knowing what else to say, Rocky stood up and offered his arm.

"Come on, I may at least walk you home. Your parents are going to be furious," he smirked. Aisha sucked a cheek in, a habit she learned from May, and grumbled a bit, taking the proffered arm and allowing him to walk her back to her personal hell in silence.

_tbc_


	19. Chapter 19

**Whoo three cheers for not forgetting about you guys :P Sorry about that, exams and stuff got in my way and real life kicked my butt so hard I couldn't find the time to do anything. This chapter is short because I honestly couldn't figure out what to write, but let's be real, it's eventually going to happen. Next chapter will be Christmas so we'll get to see the gang together exchanging gifts and stuff so beware of the FLUFF. Once again, thank you for all your support and reviews, they mean a lot to me!**

**Now enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the story!**

**~Deepika**

**P.S Did you guys see that we're so close to 100 reviews? That would be awesome if I could hit it by the end of the month!**

* * *

_Chapter 19_

_.:._

It was the week before winter break and May was drowned with work from all her classes as well as putting finishing touches on the Pokefest, which it turned out they had decided not to participate with, instead deciding on spending Christmas with friends and family. She was currently lounging at home with her traditional sweats and hoodie as well as donning a pair of glasses and a messy bun. All in all, May was having a lazy day and was particularly excited because she was also putting on the finishing touches of all her friends' gifts.

Christmas was a huge deal to May, mostly because she usually handmade, or mostly handmade, all her gifts, putting time and effort into each of them. Also, a little Chatot in the tree had informed her that Dawn's birthday was on Christmas day. Hearing this invigorated and motivated May even more to make this December 25th the best holiday her friends had ever seen. Since Christmas and New Years were traditionally done at the Oak mansion, May decided it would be an amazing time to start getting all the affairs in order, since the Oak New Years Ball was the biggest social event of the year. RSVPs had already started pouring in, the media already going into frenzy about the long awaited gathering. Dawn was working on dresses, Aisha and Blaze were working on the entertainment, Misty was working on ordering the food and other nibbles, and everything was slowly falling into place. Not surprisingly, the guys had decided not to help, except for Byron, who had graciously volunteered to man the DJ station.

May was currently taking a break from all the planning, however, and had taken to doodling in her notebook instead of doing coordinating homework, which included her trying to come up with good strategies that not only looked good, but would pack a punch in the battling portion. She heard the door of the basement open and close and quickly turned the page of her notebook, having a feeling that she knew who was coming down the stairs. Not to her surprise, the one and only Drew Hayden came sauntering in with an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. The brunette sighed, giving him a small smile, not really wanting to deal with him at that very moment since she had been working on his present. However, she couldn't resist his suave charm for long and allowed a bright smile to grace her face.

"Whatchya doing there Maple?" Drew couldn't help but ask. May grinned at his unabashed curiosity, nonchalantly pointing at the homework she was most definitely not doing. Drew nodded and ignored her protests as he came and flopped down onto the couch next to her. "Looks super boring," he commented and May rolled her eyes, used to her grass-haired companion's attitude and comments. "Now what were you _really_ doing? Don't think I won't see through that false façade you try to put up."

"Ugh, well if you really must know, I was thinking about Christmas and the ball, that's all. It's honestly much better than doing my stupid homework anyway," May replied, laying her head on Drew's shoulder. Closing her eyes, May allowed herself to relax for a short couple of moments, glad that everything around her was silent for once. The brunette felt Drew's shoulders move up and down as he inhaled deeply and then exhaled a sigh.

"Princess, you work way too hard. When was the last time you took a break? Took a breath of fresh air?" Drew questioned her and May stubbornly rolled her eyes. "Come on, we're getting out of here and going out somewhere." The brunette yelped as Drew dragged her to her feet and pulled her up the stairs. There, they met Gary who merely raised an eyebrow at the two of them but said nothing.

"Garret Samuel Oak you make him let go of me this instant!" May shrieked but Gary shrugged and just gave a thumbs up, which just made May even more furious.

"Good on you Drew, she's been working all weekend and she needs to get out," Gary nodded his head and then looked at his sister. "First of all, you're dead exhausted and you need to relax and not work for once. Second of all, Laura and Dad are coming back this weekend and you might want to get out of here." At his words, May's frown became deeper and hurt flared in her eyes but she masked it even though she knew her brother and his best friend saw it.

"Then let me at least get ready. If I'm going out then I may as well look presentable in society." May huffed, the spark in her eyes lacking as she trudged up the stairs with decidedly less spunk than had been present only a few short moments ago. She heard Drew and Gary murmur to each other but she honestly could care less. All she cared about was getting out of the house before her father's stupid girlfriend came and mucked up everything.

* * *

"Drew, I have work to do, can we go?" May asked. Drew perked a brow and turned towards the testy brunette who was definitely not in a good mood; in all honesty, he had never seen May so petulant in a long time. He could almost kill Gary for putting her in a terrible mood when he saw something that he knew would bring back that beautiful smile on her face.

"Oh come on April, you may be angry now, but I know that even you cannot resist the adorableness that are baby pokemon," Drew grinned, casually slinging his arm around his favorite brunette's shoulder. May narrowed her eyes then looked at where they had ended up, which was a pokemon shelter for stray pokemon that had been found injured in the wild and were taken in to be healed up. She looked back up to see Drew's crooked smile and crinkled eyes. "Come on, let's see if we can get that smile back on your face."

"Drew..." May murmured as she followed the green haired boy towards the building. Shaking her head with a soft smile on her face, May quickly caught up to him and let her eyes wander as they entered the shelter that housed many pokemon. May cooed as she heard the little sounds coming from the other side of the doors that were located 20 feet from them. The lady at the desk greeted them and they walked past the shelves filled with different supplies for people who wanted to adopt the pokemon and give them a home. She barely noticed Drew's soft smile as she quickly rushed forward to greet the injured and recuperating pokemon on the other side.

"Hi, welcome to the Pokemon Shelter where we give injured pokemon a home to help them get better. Oh, Ms. Maple, Mr. Hayden, welcome!" the volunteering ranger greeted, a surprise look on her face. May waved her hand at all the formality while Drew simply nodded his head. A little Lillipup toddled up to her and May gasped softly as she crouched down to pet it. The affectionate dog looking pokemon barked and stuck out its tongue, rubbing its furry head against May's palms. The volunteering ranger looked up to Drew. "Are you sure there isn't anything I could help you with?" Drew shook his head.

"No thanks, I just wanted to make my friend here feel a bit better since she's had such a terrible day." Drew grinned as he watched more little creatures come up to the brunette on the floor. The ranger watched the two of them with a smile on her face.

"Well, I think I'd say mission accomplished. Just holler if you need anything, I'll just be over there tending to the pokemon," the ranger bowed respectfully then walked away leaving the two teenagers alone.

"Well? Was I right or was I right?" Drew smirked and May looked up with a teasing look on her face.

"I'll let that comment slide but only because you made me feel better. But don't get used to it!" May quickly added with a small smile on her face as she looked down once more. "But thank you... I guess I don't say that very often but I'm glad that I know you'll always have my back." Drew swallowed audibly and averted his eyes with a rosy blush staining his cheeks.

"Now, now Maple, keep saying that and I'll really start to get a big ego," Drew smirked and May sighed while rolling her eyes but flashed him a smile.

* * *

"Victor we can't keep spending money on her! It's a lost cause anyway, why can't you just admit it? And your daughter is just supporting your cause, look at what you've done to her! All she does is work and go to school, no time for her to integrate herself properly into society!" Julia Malcolm shrieked to her equally-as-irritated husband Victor.

"Because _Julia_," he spewed venomously "she's my mother and I will damn well do whatever it takes to help her! If you would stop being so selfish you would realize that there is a way to save her! And I swear to Arceus, if you bring up Blaze one more time I'll-" Victor roared.

Blaze whimpered as tears poured down her face and she rocked herself on her bed. Her parents had been going at it for over three hours now and she was so damn tired of it. She couldn't even go outside to escape it because as soon as she did, her parents would take their frustrations out at her. Blaze had never felt so useless as she did now. Her thoughts kept spiraling as all she could think about was how she was the source of all the problems. No matter how much she tried to tell herself that she was doing all she could Blaze knew that if it wasn't for her and her endless crusade to help her grandmother then her parents' marriage would be a lot better. Blaze could hear her parents bellowing from upstairs and the service at the house had wisely holed themselves up in their quarters so there was no chance of getting help from one of them.

Sometimes she wondered what would happen if she just hadn't been born and what would happen if her parents didn't have to deal with her everyday. She could see the residual disappointment in their eyes every single day as she would come down dressed in her un-ladylike outfits and her continued refusal to attend events and galas. She was so tired of everything that she reached into the drawer located under her bed and pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills, which would probably knock her out and help her ignore her shouting parents, when she heard the doorbell ring. Startled, the shouting had ceased downstairs and then she heard her mother yell at her father to open the door. Voices sounded from downstairs and Blaze slowly crept down the stairs until she had a clear view of what was going on downstairs but no one else could see her. From her vantage point, Blaze could just make out Byron's figure and her parents almost towering over him.

"Mr. Carter, is there a reason you're at our doorstep?" Victor narrowed his eyes at the boy who defiantly stood tall and unafraid. Julia muttered something and Victor turned to glare at her only to turn back to the poor surfer boy who had unknowingly walked into the middle of World War III.

"Yes sir, Blaze and I were going to hang out today and I got worried when she didn't show so I came here to make sure she was alright," Byron explained, his eyes crinkling in worry as he thought about the fiery orange haired girl. Julia waved her hand nonchalantly and talked in an unconcerned tone.

"Oh, she's just upstairs doing homework or whatnot. Let me get her," Julia almost sneered and Byron repressed the urge to snap at the woman. "Blaze, come down, your friend is here waiting for you to grace us with your presence!" the black haired woman hollered up the stairs. Blaze quickly left her post and rushed to wash her face in the bathroom. Before her mother could yell for her again, Blaze ran downstairs, almost tripping from the dizzying headache she had. The orange haired girl was lucky that no one really noticed, but she did notice Byron's calculating look as her surveyed her poorly scrubbed face.

"Ready?" Byron asked, his lax voice uncharacteristically tight. Blaze cocked her head to the side but nodded nonetheless and followed him out the door and down the sidewalk. Once they were a considerable distance from her house, Byron turned around and gripped Blaze's arms. "Are you ok?" he asked, his eyes wandering over her face and body as if expecting any physical damage. Byron must have seen the perplexed look on her face as he added, "I saw your red-rimmed eyes and knew I had walked into a war-zone. You're pale and it looks like you're going to faint from exhaustion. You should have called me earlier!" the surfer boy fretted and Blaze look down and away from the boy in front of her.

"Byron, it's fine, honestly. I mean, it's not like I haven't heard it before," Blaze scoffed, starting to walk again and forcing Byron to jog to catch up to her. He had another uncharacteristic frown on his face as opposed to his chill and no-care-in-the-world attitude. "Oh, don't look at me like that. You know I hate when people pity me or whatnot."

"I'm not pitying you Blaze, I just think that it's not fair for you to go on like this. Hearing all that fighting must be really frustrating and I just..." The orange haired girl was shocked to see the shining sincerity and the determination in her companion's eyes. Blaze realized she had never seen Byron this serious about anything before. "Just promise me you'll call me if something's wrong. You don't deserve to go through this alone."

"Ok, ok, I promise. Now what are we going to do? It's a week before Christmas so all the shops will be packed and there'll be nothing to do except to walk around," Blaze quickly changed the topic so she didn't have to keep thinking about her fighting parents and Grams' health. Byron tight-lipped frown morphed into a genuine grin and he grabbed Blaze's hand without even thinking and began to pull her. "By! Where are we going?" Blaze laughed as Byron dragged her along the sidewalk and into the shopping district of LaRousse. Byron shook his head gleefully and continued to make a beeline to a specific store which had Blaze laughing hysterically.

"Hey, no laughing! I've not yet managed to decorate my tree yet and I figured that you could help me. Mom and Dad are out of town and they won't be back until Christmas day so I just thought I'd surprise them with a decorated house and such." Byron had such an adorable pout on his face that Blaze sighed and walked into the store, but not before snatching her hand away from his. She looked back to the sandy haired boy and sighed.

"Byron, are you going to leave me to just go in there alone?" Byron snapped out of his daze and flashed a grin, casually walking towards her. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm doing this. Why did I let you drag me into doing this?" Blaze pursed her lips and her surfer boy companion smirked.

"Because I help you every weekend...plus you love me?" he shrugged and Blaze blushed, looking away but whacked him in the arm nonetheless. "Ow!"

"Let's just go before I change my mind..."

_tbc_


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey I sort of made my 2 week deadline :P Sorry about that guys, exams were absolutely killing me and then I just decided to take it easy for a couple of days. I've actually been waiting to bust out this chapter but my plot bunnies and muses decided to surprise me with a new twist that I hadn't even planned for. Hopefully this somewhat long-ish chapter makes up for me kind of missing my 2 week deadline but hopefully now that exams and stuff are over, I can focus a bit more on writing. Anyway, I really want you guys to read this chapter but before I let you guys go...**

**THANK YOU FOR 100 REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE SUPER MEGA FOXY AWESOME HOT AND I LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO SO MUCH!**

**(Now enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the story)**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 20_

_.:._

'Twas the night before Christmas and the entire Oak mansion was bathed in light from the holiday lights and the multiple candles. Dawn's eyes widened with awe as she walked into the Christmas themed Oak mansion, decked with tinsel and bows of holly. There were several little trees with tiny decorations and there were gold, green, and red fairy lights around the house. Dawn passed a room where she caught a glimpse of a Christmas village which practically took up the entire room. She walked into the main living area where there was a giant Christmas tree in the corner that had been fully decorated and already housed some presents underneath. It was a large evergreen of perhaps seven feet tall and it was the home to the beautiful angel holding the star. _The Oaks go all out_, Dawn thought, astounded. Everywhere she looked, there were little decorations and nativity sets, along with the gorgeous smell of fresh baked cookies and other goodies.

The blue haired girl could hear laughter in the kitchen and followed the joyous sound. In the kitchen, she found May with her apron on, Misty, Gary, Drew, Aisha, and Byron all crowded around May, who was holding the tray of delicious baked treats. "Step away from the cookies! I repeat, step away from the cookies! That means you too Gary don't think I can't see you trying to steal one from behind me!" the female Oak snapped. Snickers were heard around the room and then a chorus of hellos as the six teen realized that Dawn had come in. "Dawn!" May squealed, nearly throwing the piping hot baking tray on the ground as she ran to embrace her friend.

"What up pinkie?" "Hey Dawn!" "'Sup?" "How goes it blue?" everyone greeted her and Dawn was once again washed with the warmth of the friendship that surrounded her. Greeting everyone, the blue haired girl snatched a cookie from the tray, much to everyone's horror.

"Oh, no fair, how come she gets one?" Drew whined, surprising Dawn. She had never really heard Drew wail like that, but May took it in stride and smacked him with her wooden spoon.

"Keep in the Christmas spirit! As per usual, we all get to open one gift tonight so make it good. Oh! Speaking of gifts, Dawn, you can put your presents under the giant tree. The others will be here later tonight and we'll each open one present tonight," May instructed. Dawn grinned and walked to the living room once more where Samuel Oak, who she was shocked to see in casual clothing, greeted her. He wore gray sweatpants with a red robe over it.

"Hello, Professor. Merry Christmas," Dawn greeted the elderly man who smiled in return. "How has your Christmas eve been so far?"

"Well, it's certainly nice to be able to spend it with my two grandchildren and my son, who's also coming tonight," Samuel smiled serenely. Dawn, on the other hand, fought to keep her jaw from dropping; May hadn't mentioned anything about her father or Laura coming over. "Also, it will be nice to see May and Gary have a nice Christmas with all of their friends, including you. I know my granddaughter can't seem to praise you enough, young lady."

"Enough of...me?" Dawn stuttered, utterly dumbfounded. She was humbled that May even thought that highly of her. "I..." A knowing smile crossed the Professor's face as he watched the blue haired girl fumble for words. "I suppose I can say the same for her. I was very...reclusive, I guess you can say, back in Twinleaf Town. But May kind of forced me to expand my friend circle. I'm just thankful that someone as amazing and kind and sweet as her can accept me into such a tight-knit group of friends. I'm honored, actually."

"I'm guessing the feeling's mutual Dawn. I want to thank you for being exactly what May needed and for bringing a sense of completeness into the group. I've never seen her as happy as she's been these past couple of months," Samuel replied, a degree of sadness lurking in his eyes. "Ever since Grayson and Laura became serious, however much Maybelle refuses to admit it, she hasn't really been the same. That's the thing about my granddaughter, so quick to sacrifice her happiness for someone else. I honestly don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to her. I'm scared my son is pushing her towards the edge and pushing her away." The Professor actually seemed near tears at this point, and Dawn could only stand, shocked that he was opening so much towards her. "May seems to think that I don't know what's going on behind closed doors, how much her father's girlfriend's words hurt her. She tries to play it off but I know that all she wants is to be accepted and loved." Dawn swallowed thickly; it seemed like she wasn't the only one to notice May's recent behavior.

"She sacrificed a lot, Professor, more than a normal girl should have to sacrifice. She was also bullied quite a lot, always being put down and such because of her quiet nature and her tendency to avoid conflict. It's also the reason why she hasn't put Holly Dunn in her place."

"Well, I'm just glad she has you. Now, I've already kept you away long enough. Go back to your friends and enjoy Christmas, Dawn; you guys deserve it."

* * *

"What took you so long?" May asked as soon as Dawn walked back into the kitchen. The others were quietly talking amongst themselves but quieted down as soon as they heard Dawn walk in. Dawn flashed a quick smile.

"Just met your grandfather and literally felt star struck that he was even talking to me," Dawn laughed, blushing as her friends gave her knowing smiles. "Oh stop! I'm allowed to admire famous people!" she pouted, much to everyone's amusement. As they laughed, Blaze and Rocky walked in together, having already dropped off their presents under the tree.

"Why are we all laughing?" Blaze grinned as she hugged her friends and went to go stand by Aisha, as did Rocky. "Was Pinkie star struck or something?" At everyone's laughter, and Dawn's shocked look, Blaze roared with laughter. Dawn grumbled and pouted as she crossed her arms, but was secretly glad to be making everyone laugh, even if it was at her own expense.

"Hey, where's Paul?" Dawn asked and tried her hard not to flush bright red as she saw knowing smiles all around her. "Oh stop, it's not like that. He's the only one from the group who's not here, it's a valid question!" Dawn defended herself. Misty cracked a grin.

"He spends most of the night with his family and then comes here pretty late." Dawn nodded thoughtfully as she stared off into space, remembering a time when she, her mother, and her father used to celebrate the holiday together. It was a time of happiness that no longer existed. "Hey...you ok?" a voice softly asked but Dawn still jumped, yanked from her thoughts. Dawn noticed that everyone was once again talking to each other, Misty the only one who wasn't talking with anyone. She had a concerned expression in her eyes.

"Yea...just thinking back to happier times," Dawn laughed nervously. Misty nodded, understanding and lack of judgment clear in her eyes. It reminded Dawn of Misty's own familial situation and how much Dawn was thankful for.

"I get it. I like to remember a time when my parents and my sisters would crowd around the tree and open presents, and a time when I wasn't so alone." Misty seemed to realize what she said and quickly closed her mouth, a guarded look clouding her eyes. Dawn grabbed Misty's hand and squeezed it, trying to convey her reassurance and support. Misty shook her head and laughed a little, though it came out bitter and sharp. "I'm lucky the Oaks allowed me into their family, or else I'd have to spend Christmas either alone or with my sisters. Arceus that would be terrible."

"Hey, none of that here." Gary's voice startled the two of them. The two girls hadn't even noticed him slip out of the conversation and come towards them. "Let's just be thankful for what we have and just call it a night. Now is not a time for sadness."

"That's right," May replied, having only heard Gary's last sentence. "This is a happy time, and I refuse to let anything ruin it. Dinner's almost ready so you boys go set the table. I'll bring the food out," May ordered them. The guys wisely decided not to question the female Oak and rushed to get the plates and cutlery ready. Giggling to herself, May continued to stir several pots at once. The girls decided to help out and began to each take a pan or pot and bring them into the giant dining room. However, May's smile slightly faded as she noticed the two extra plates set on the table. Dawn quickly noticed this and wrapped her arm around May's shoulder, whispering about not letting anything ruin such a happy night.

Invariably, the doorbell rang and May swallowed thickly, letting out a loud sigh before steeling herself. An uncomfortable looking Paul was standing in front of Grayson and Laura, no doubt having been forced to talk to them and keep them company. Only looking at Paul, May grinned widely, though anyone with eyes could tell that it was forced and a bit too wide. "Hey guys, come in! You're just in time for dinner!" May's hands were clenched so tight that her knuckles were turning white and were slightly shaking. This time, it was Drew who came to her rescue, grabbing the plate out of her hands and setting in on the table before gently leading her to her seat, hands on her forearms and a protest on May's lips. Grayson didn't seem to notice the tension and walked in hand-in-hand with Laura.

"Hey you two, come show your father some actual love," Grayson demanded, though his eyes twinkled. Gary stood up, his face a mask of neutrality and May stiffly walked towards her father, eyes dark and unreadable. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths as the two children hugged their father. Laura pulled Gary into a hug but left May to the side, though, for her part, May didn't seem to care and just walked away, leaving a frown on her father's face. Samuel had gotten up as well to greet his son, an unusually serious expression present on the elder man's face.

"So, how was your trip this time Mr. Oak?" Drew asked, attempting to diffuse the tension and trying not to deck the trophy girlfriend his favorite brunette hated so much. Grayson seemed happy at the change of topic and began to extensively talk about the trip to the Bichi region he and Laura had recently taken. May wordlessly began serving food, ignoring everyone around her. Gary had weaseled his way out of Laura's death grip and went to help his sister, the rest of their friends honestly not knowing what to do. Dawn could only squeeze May's hand and murmur reassuring words but it seemed that the holiday spirit the spunky brunette had been exuding was expunged and she had become withdrawn and quiet.

"So, how has school been for all of you? I've only heard good things from Dean Malcolm," Grayson grinned. "She couldn't stop talking about Byron and Blaze's battle from a couple of months ago it seems." Both aforementioned parties flushed but nonetheless began to describe the battle. Throughout the dinner, Grayson went around the table and talked to each one of them, asking questions and such while also sticking some anecdotes of his time in the Bichi region into the conversation. No one seemed to be noting May's increasingly frustrated expression as she listened to her father regale her and her friends.

"So what new things did you manage to discover?" May's voice cut in, causing everyone to basically fall silent. Grayson's jovial smile faded and he looked down at his plate, unable to say anything but May didn't stop there. "Because it seems that all you've been talking about for the past hour now has been about the massage you got, or the beach you visited, or the scuba dive you took. I thought you've been going on business trips? Or have you just been lying to us for the past however many years?" Laura seemed to find the most inappropriate time to intervene.

"How dare you talk to your father like that? He's done nothing wrong!" the blonde woman growled, her perfectly manicured hand gripping the forearm of the aforementioned man. May's sapphire eyes flashed, a feral growl resounding from her throat.

"Nothing wrong? I've spent a good portion of the last nine years not seeing my father and living in a house once again, with fighting parents, so excuse me if I'm offended that my _father_ takes leisure and pleasure trips instead of spending time with us! It's been three months since I saw him last and it's been over three years since he's spent the night at this house!" May screamed, biting back a sob. Drew stood up to help the clearly distressed brunette but Gary held him down, his black eyes cold and chipped.

"Your mother and Norman have been fighting?" Grayson asked and Dawn managed to bite down a groan as she realized this was the single worst response he could have given. May turned to her father, clearly shocked as well. Her glassy eyes fought to blink back tears lest Laura actually saw her cry and got some kind of sick satisfaction over it.

"That's all you've gotten out of what I've just said? Arceus it's not even worth it anymore!" May sobbed as she stood up and her silverware clattered onto the table. No one could say anything as they watched the entire dinner May worked so hard on just go downhill. "I just..." May started but shook her head and got out of her seat. "Excuse me," she snarled, ignoring everyone.

"Baby girl!" Grayson called. The group of 12 people looked at each other in silent shock and Gary was glaring at his father. Samuel sighed and shook his head, already beginning to gather everyone's food when they heard the door slam, hard. Grayson flinched and Laura rubbed his arm soothingly while murmuring reassuring words. After fifteen minutes of tense silence and minimal conversation and seeing that everyone had already finished their dinner, Drew got up, having had enough.

"I'm going to go and check on May," he said, voice low and resonating with anger. Gary nodded his consent and clapped his best friend on the shoulder. In a turn of events, Laura got up and stopped the green haired boy in his tracks with one of her tan and manicured hands.

"No sweetheart, let me. I can't help but think that part of this may be my fault," she sighed dolefully, her voice saccharine and fake. Drew grit his teeth and was about to retort when Grayson spoke first.

"Don't be ridiculous sweetheart, none of this is your fault. I think it's a wonderful idea if you go check up on May." Everyone could only stare at the male Oak in shock, wondering how he could possibly think that Laura and May talking was even a remotely good idea. As soon as the blonde woman left, Gary turned to Drew, his demeanor unusually serious.

"Go to her, right now," he practically growled. Drew didn't even need permission for he had already gotten up the moment Laura left the room and headed towards the stairs. The green haired boy cringed as he heard screaming, yelling , and finally the door slam, and charged up the stairs towards May's room. Once there, he saw a fuming Laura who was storming away from the brunette's room in a huff.

"What did you say to her?" Drew growled at the trophy girlfriend. Laura put on a hurt façade that nearly sickened Drew. He was even astounded to see that Laura had tears in her eyes.

"Why do you automatically assume the worst of me? She was the one who hurt me!" Laura whined. Drew grit his teeth and rolled his eyes, watching as she hurried down the stairs, no doubt to complain to Grayson Oak. Shaking his head, Drew took a deep breath and knocked on May's door, actually feeling slightly scared.

"Princess? You there?" Drew asked softly. All he got was a grumbled response, but it was better than nothing. "May, I'm coming in," Drew called as he turned the doorknob. To his dismay, it was locked. "Aw May, come on, please let me in. There's no one but me out here, I promise. Just open the door."

"Go away." Drew heard her trite response and sighed, knowing that it would take some convincing to get the stubborn brunette to listen to him. His heart clenched when he heard her unusually thick voice, obviously the work of tears.

"May, I will break open this door if you don't let me in, and you know that I'm not joking," Drew retorted. After several minutes of pleading, Drew finally heard a soft click and knew that she had unlocked the door. "I'm coming in now," Drew announced and opened the door. Unsurprisingly, he saw items strewn around the usually immaculate room and fought the urge to go smack some sense into May's father and his bimbo of a girlfriend. For her part, May looked slightly pathetic, her entire outfit crumpled and disheveled, her face red with tear streaks and her eyes puffy and swollen looking.

"You got in, now what?" May bitterly remarked and Drew sighed, hating when she got like this. A few tense moments later and May groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Forget it, Arceus I hate Christmas," she moaned, then amended herself. "No, I hate when Dad comes into town with that...with that _cow_. For Mew's sake, I wish they'd both just leave; I'd rather them not come than have to deal with this." May felt the bed shift down as Drew sat next to her curled up form. She then felt him lie down and gather her in his arms, a blush forming on her cheeks and her heart working overtime.

"Now Princess, I know you don't mean that," Drew gently consoled her. He wondered what Laura had come and told her. "Don't even listen to that trophy bimbo of a woman. I don't care what she said, it's not true," he whispered, squeezing her shaking form as he heard a sniffle.

"Arceus, I'm worthless aren't I? I can't even stand up to that woman."

"May, you're one of the strongest people I know. Now what did that blonde witch tell you, so I can ask Gary to pummel her?" Drew grinned slightly as he heard the small laugh that came from the tiny brunette. _Mission accomplished_, he thought happily.

"Ugh, it's the usual, I don't even know why it really got to me anyway. She just called me fat, stupid, and worthless-" May was cut off by a furious Drew who was shaking with anger. "Drew?"

"Don't..." he began, still shaking with fury. May had honestly never seen him like this before. "Don't you _ever_ listen to a word that lunatic says!" he growled, eyes a bright and intense green, and May suddenly found herself facing him and looking straight into those chartreuse eyes. "Arceus, don't ever, _ever_ think you're worthless or you mean nothing!" May shushed him as she leaned forward close enough for their foreheads to touch. She was shocked when Drew hugged her closer to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Arceus Princess, you're beautiful and you're intelligent and don't let anyone ever tell you any different. In fact, I should just tell your father what happened, and you can finally be rid of her," Drew snarled, pulling away from her to look into her sad sapphire eyes. May sighed and vacantly stared at the wall behind him rather than looking straight into his eyes.

"Don't tell my father," May pleaded, flinching when Drew's face went slack and his emerald eyes flashed in righteous anger.

"Don't...don't tell your father? Are you kidding me right now?" Drew snapped. May tightened her lips but remained adamant. "Why, pray tell me, would you not want to tell your father about how that woman abuses you constantly?" Anxiety curled in May's stomach as she thought about the hurtful words that had been spewed at her less than ten minutes ago. But then she thought of her father's smiling face and his light eyes, something she hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Because no matter how much I hate that woman, she makes him happy. And how can I take away that one source of happiness from him, after he's suffered for so many years?" May replied softly, burying her face in his chest. Drew's eyes widened as he stared at the top of the brunette's head.

"May, you can't honestly tell me that _that's_ the reason you're putting up with all of this?" Drew queried softly. The only reason he wasn't downstairs having a stern talk with Grayson Oak was currently snuggled in his chest and he fought to tamp down the feelings of rage. "Why should you sacrifice your own personal happiness and dignity for that?"

"Because my father deserves to be happy after years of being alone. I'm glad that he at least found someone, even if it is someone I don't particularly like. I haven't seen Dad's eyes that light and happy since he and Mom were happy all those years ago," May whispered. "If all it takes to make him that happy is a bit of sacrifice on my part, then why not?"

* * *

"Laura! Is everything ok?" Grayson asked, hopping out of the single seat couch, as he spotted his girlfriend walking down the stairs. He was shocked to see tears streaming down her face. "Baby, what happened?" he asked, rushing over to the blonde woman and wrapping her in his arms. Laura sniffled.

"Oh Gray, I've tried so hard to be accepted into May's good graces, but all I'm repaid with is hateful words thrown at my face!" she cried woefully. Grayson's eyes crinkled in confusion but he held his woman anyway.

"Oh, give me a break!" Blaze whispered to Aisha, who could only nod in shock as she watched Grayson Oak be played like a fiddle. "If anything, I bet that _she_ was the one yelling obscenities at May. In fact, there isn't a doubt in my mind that the witch is the reason that May hasn't come downstairs yet."

"At least Drew's with her. If anyone can calm her down, it's him," Misty nodded decisively. At once again the worst time, the doorbell rang once more. Seven friends looked at each other in confusion, not knowing that someone else was supposed to come. Misty spoke up first. "Are we expecting someone?" she asked out loud. Her gaze automatically shifted towards Gary, who had a slightly guilty expression on his face. "Gare?"

"Oh- uh- just, just a friend. No need to worry, I'll get the door," he muttered. Misty furrowed her brows in confusion as she watched him go over to the door and tried her best not to stare at him as he greeted his friend. She watched as Gary greeted this friend and stepped outside to hug them, much to Misty's ever growing confusion. Everything was explained as Gary stepped back inside, leading a very familiar brunette inside while ordering the butler to take her coat and helping her step out of her shoes. Aisha, Blaze, Rocky, Byron, Paul, and Dawn all knew that there was going to be major trouble once they saw Leaf Hana walk into the Oak mansion.

"Oh Arceus, here we go," Blaze whispered and Misty whipped her head from the door to the couch, where she vacantly stared ahead. Hurt flooded through her veins but she tried to remind herself that she had known all along that Gary had never felt the same way she felt about him. Gary and Leaf sauntered into the room, either not noticing or purposely avoiding everyone's shocked and accusing glares.

"Guys, I hope you don't mind that I invited Leaf over. Her parents aren't in town and she just finished volunteering at the local Pokemon Center and needed a place to stay," Gary explained. For some reason, he felt the need to really explain himself to Misty, who seemed like the person paying the least amount of attention.

"Hey Leaf," was the unenthusiastic greeting to the slightly shivering brunette. Aisha was sitting next to Misty and grabbed the orange haired girl's hand, squeezing it in comfort. Noticing the empty seat on the couch next to her, Aisha cleared her throat at Rocky, who looked at the black haired girl in shock. She glared at him and subtly angled her head from his couch to her couch, ordering him to come sit next to her. After a few seconds, Rocky managed to get the idea and hopped off the sofa and over to Aisha, who smiled sweetly at him, then turned her attention back to Misty.

Samuel walked into the living room, confused as to the lack of noise and spotted the brunette. "Well hello, and who is this exactly?" Leaf smiled sweetly, holding out her hand to the Professor.

"Hi, I'm Leaf Hana, a friend of Gary's," she greeted. The eldest Oak raised his eyebrow and noted how uncomfortable everyone, including Misty, looked.

"A friend of Gary's, huh?" the Professor mused then smiled gently. "Welcome to my house, Leaf. I'm Professor Samuel Oak, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Knowing the Professor as well as she did, Misty saw that he clearly wasn't pleased to meet her, something that gave way a little ball of satisfaction. But then she noticed the sparkling look in Gary's eyes and the way the chestnut haired Oak's eyes seemed riveted to the brunette cheerleader and she quickly quelled that feeling of smugness, feeling ashamed that she had almost wished misfortune on Gary. Whatever made him happy, made her happy. "Is May back yet?" Samuel asked. Gary sighed, clearly frustrated, and shook his head in the negative.

"No, Drew's up there with her right now. She looked really upset before, so I'm not really that surprised that she hasn't come down yet." Misty looked around, clearly distressed.

"Should we go check up on them?" she asked and it seemed that everyone was surprised when Dawn answered.

"No, it's clear that Drew has this handled. Besides, it would probably overwhelm her to have all of us check on her. Let's just wait it out and see what happens. It's only been 15 minutes anyway." Leaf looked around, confusion etched on her face.

"What's going on? Is May ok?" Leaf asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Misty replied with a fake sweetness that caught Gary's attention and caused him to narrow his eyes. Leaf looked away. Aisha attempted to save the situation.

"What Mist means is that it's a fairly long story and not worth telling. Why don't you put your gifts under the tree and wait for May and Drew to come down? We have a tradition where we open one gift Christmas night together." Aisha squeaked as she felt Misty's hand pinch her and finally noticed Misty's icy demeanor. One that clearly stated, 'she's not meant to know about our traditions'.

"Anyway, come, sit. We were just talking anyway," Blaze arched a brow, almost looking at her threateningly. Which she was, since she knew how much her fellow redhead was hurting right now. Leaf nodded shyly but stopped when Gary grabbed her hand. Misty watched with growing hurt, confusion, and jealousy as Gary whispered something in her ear and the two walked out of the living room to talk privately. Finally, the redhead had had enough and got up.

"I...need to go right now. I'm gonna go for a walk," she managed to choke out as tears blurred her vision and she quickly hurried out of the living room. Unfortunately, she had managed to walk right in to Gary and Leaf, who were standing under the mistletoe. Feeling cowardly, Misty hid, secretly watching what the two of them would do. Years from now, Misty would always say that she knew what was coming but for some odd reason, the present Misty didn't think that Gary, the same Gary who had shown her affection-that-could-possibly-be-love and the same Gary who had held her when she cried about her sisters, muttering nonsensical phrases, would actually go through with the age old tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. Oh how wrong she was. All the redhead needed was one look at the two people's lips connecting, and she hightailed it out of the Oak Mansion and into the streets of LaRousse.

_tbc_


	21. Chapter 21

**Don't even say it! After my last update, I was crazy busy with exams and stuff and then when school FINALLY ended and I attended all these graduation parties, I was whisked away on a magical adventure to India that had like absolutely no wifi access so I was left with nothing to do for 3 weeks except to play solitaire on my phone and look at the sights.**

**Then, I struggled with getting this chapter done, even though I was riddled by guilt over all your wonderful reviews (like seriously guys, holy cow! we reached 120 reviews!) so I forced myself to just write something and hopefully you guys all like it. Thank you so much for all your support and all your wonderful reviews. I really would have responded to some of them (especially the ones asking me when I would update) but I had minimal internet access there so it just wasn't possible. **

**Obviously this chapter won't make up for anything because it was shorter than the last one which was posted over two months ago (cue my hysteric sobs) but I hope it's at least something.**

**Now enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the chapter!**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 21_

_.:._

Dawn flinched as she heard another door slam shut. She wondered what it was that Misty had seen when Paul once again grabbed her arm and kept her in place, shaking his head when she tried to go and see. The exasperated look on his face caused an angry retort to bubble up but it died on her lips when she saw the slightly pained look on his face. Sometimes she had to remember that he was human as well and as much as she hated her friends fighting, he must hate it just as much, if not more.

"Well this is turning out swimmingly, isn't it?" Rocky muttered, attempting to break the icy tension that had surrounded this entire house. He yelped when both Aisha and Byron smacked his arms, simultaneously ordering him to shut his giant mouth. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Y'all just need to calm down. I'm just trying to make things a little lighter so we don't die of tension."

"Well stop it," Aisha huffed, clearly distressed. Rocky wisely decided not to grace her with a comeback and instead sat quietly next to her. Grayson and Laura had gone upstairs to Grayson's room so all the kids were left downstairs on their own. "I wonder what happened?" Sha murmured quietly. "It doesn't seem like Misty to just walk out on a Christmas celebration..."

Just then, Gary and Leaf walked in together, hand in hand, causing everyone to start. Byron muttered what sounded like 'you have _got_ to be kidding me' while Blaze just opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. Paul stoically stared while Aisha gasped loudly and Rocky just glanced at everyone else. Dawn was the first one who managed some sort of coherent thought. "So uh... What just happened?" she asked quietly. Gary looked around before giving his explanation, hurt that he couldn't see Misty.

"Leaf and I-" Gary began before a flustered May and Drew decided to grace the Eeveeite group with their presence. May finally looked put back together though her cheeks were stained a bit red as was Drew's. The top of his shirt looked strangely disheveled as did his hair.

"Can someone tell me why Misty texted me- what the hell is going on?" the female Oak asked as she took note of her brother hand in hand with someone who wasn't Misty. Drew simply had a calculated look on his face as Gary turned around, eyes bright and happy. May was taken aback and stopped herself from glaring. Giving a weak smile, May half-heartedly congratulated her brother and then announced that she was going to go find Misty. At the mention of the redhead, Gary's eyes narrowed once more but he made no comment as Leaf pulled him towards the couch they had occupied only a half an hour ago. Drew warily sat down next to the couple, feeling awfully awkward as he watched Leaf snuggle into Gary's side and Gary wrap an arm around her.

"Wow, so um...you and Leaf, huh?" he murmured quietly, trying not to show the displeasure in his eyes. There was suddenly no question as to why Misty was suddenly missing. He took his place on the ottoman as he watched his best friend with rapt attention. Gary smiled, first looking at Drew, then looking at Leaf, with a slightly love struck expression.

"Yea, we've been dancing around it for ages and we thought it was finally time to do something about it," Gary replied, not really hearing the scoff from Blaze. Drew glared at them, willing them to be quiet and hoping that May found Misty. Even though Gary was his best friend, he was terribly worried for the redhead who had been harboring feeling for his said best friend for over five years. Leaf grinned happily.

"I'm sorry if this seems kind of sudden but you know... Things happen," she sighed.

* * *

May was bundled up in her coat and running around the suburban streets of LaRousse City, desperately in search of her best friend. She knew that in the heat of the moment, Misty would have just stormed out and not have brought a jacket or anything and the female Oak was insanely worried about the wellbeing of her childhood friend. Not only that, but she knew that Misty must have been feeling the utmost heartbreak she had ever felt. May suddenly had a brain spark and turned in her tracks to go the opposite way towards the park where she and Misty often inhabited when life became difficult and they just needed a place to escape.

"Misty!" May called, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Mist, where are you?" All May got was silence that unnerved her. Never in her short life had she been this worried for her best friend, especially seeing how cold it was outside. There was an almost creepy creaking of a swing and May excitedly turned around to see her friend swinging on the plastic swing, only dressed in a turtleneck and sweatpants along with furry boots. Sprinting over to the girl, May quickly wrapped the extra coat she had brought with her around the redhead's shoulders. It was almost as if Misty was in a daze and had only just realized that May was next to her when she felt the coat around her. A startled gasp made its way through the youngest Waterflower's throat and her eyes were wide and glassy. May gave a supportive smile as she rubbed Misty's shoulders. There was a moment of tense silence until Misty's raspy voice, thick with emotion, spoke up.

"Gary and Leaf kissed," she choked out, hot tears pouring out of her eyes again. May flinched, looking away and feeling ashamed for her brother, but wasn't able to say anything bad about him.

"I know."

"I...I _love_ him." May bit her lip as tears gathered in her eyes as well as Misty tried to get the words out.

"Oh Arceus, I know, I know and I'm sorry," May whispered, sniffling a little. It hurt to see her best friend like this. Misty rubbed her eyes and gave her best friend a smile that looked far too wide.

"It's fine, it wouldn't really have lasted anyway. It's high school after all, like really, what are the chances that we would have actually lasted? Like honestly," Misty muttered. May sucked a cheek in and looked at the redhead with one of her startling knowledgeable stare.

"Who are you trying to convince, me or you?"

"It doesn't matter does it? Anyway, I may as well go back to your house. Gotta pretend that nothing happened as usual," Misty laughed humorlessly. May frowned but got up and held out her hand to her friend. Misty took it and squeezed the hand, grateful for the support.

The two girls walked back to the Oak mansion together in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. May would periodically glance over in Misty's direction, hoping the redhead could keep herself together for when they arrived at her house. Finally, the walk came to an end and the two girls stood in front of the gates that led them to their eventual doom. Looking at each other, each one gestured the other to step in first. Misty questioned the brunette's reluctance to go inside of her own house, to which she replied with "Laura" and the short conversation was brought to an end. Sighing, May steeled herself and opened the gates and then waited for her front door to be open. Nodding a brief hello to the butler, the two girls walked in, trying to look as casual as they could.

Misty and May were met with hugs and voiced concerns from their friends because of Misty's disappearing act. Misty gave a weak smile and told her friends that she had received news that her sisters wouldn't be home for another few months or so, which had really bummed her out and given her a reason to want to spend some time alone. Ironically, it seemed that the only people who really believed her story were Leaf and Gary, the latter who gave her a hug and apologized. Misty tried her best to ignore all the looks that the girls were giving her and tried her best to avoid any physical contact with any of the guys, especially Gary. Feeling the oppressive somber mood weigh down on her, May attempted to change the subject.

"C'mon guys, it's time to open one present!" she cheered, putting on her biggest and brightest smiles. No matter how broken or destroyed she felt, Misty couldn't hide the genuine smile that flitted on her lips. Nothing like opening Christmas gifts for brightening up dejected spirits. Looking around, Misty noticed how relaxed everyone looked, the stresses of putting on fake masks for media or just trying to act normal when everything wasn't gone and free from their faces.

A nostalgic feeling welled up inside her and Misty was forced to remember the happier times of her parents and sisters on Christmas eve night, baking cookies and putting out milk, hanging stockings, and lighting up the star on the top of the Christmas tree. Although she was used to not having anyone around for Christmas, she couldn't help but miss having a parental figure to guide her and give her advice when needed. A hand on her shoulder startled her and she jumped, silently cursing herself. Fractionally turning her head, Misty's heart sank as she met Gary's concerned hazel eyes. She offered him the best smile she could possibly muster, which clearly wasn't enough for him.

"You ok Red?" he asked, his brows furrowing adorably and the worried expression he wore on his face was almost enough to melt her heart. Misty blinked to dispel all thoughts of _that_ nature out of her head and gave him her strongest smile. She reached up to squeeze his shoulder.

"I'm fine," she replied in a tone that closed the subject and Misty was so proud of herself for being able to say that in a confident tone as she walked away to be with her friends. As she passed Leaf, the brunette and object of Gary's affection gave her a dazzling smile that the redhead struggled to return. As if sensing her discomfort and literally acting as a guard dog, Blaze came to her rescue, smiling sweetly at the brunette and whisking Misty away.

"You ok girl?" Blaze couldn't help but ask, grimacing at the scathing glare she received in reply. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry, but... It's present time! And ain't nobody gonna ruin this holiday for any of us!" Misty's fellow redhead declared. "You're going to open gifts and have a good time!"

"Yes ma'am," Misty slightly sullenly responded. She perked up, however, when she saw her closest friends huddled together near the Christmas tree. Although her heart was broken, the holiday itself embodied the spirit of friendship and family and she was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a group of people who loved her for who she was.

* * *

The group of eleven grouped around the tree, each with a present in their laps. Leaf, having had to leave early, had already left, but apologized and wished the group a merry Christmas. Sitting in a circle, each person waited for the other to be the first open his or her gift. May rolled her eyes at her friends. "You guys are so boring," she stuck her tongue out. "Here, I'll be first you bunch of pansies." May surveyed her gift with a soft smile. "This one's from Dawn," she grinned, excitedly tearing at the meticulous wrapping paper. A dazed look graced the brunette's face as she picked up the glass frame, which contained a gorgeous threaded piece of art, that depicted May's pokemon garden with May in the center and her beloved team of pokemon behind her. With glazed eyes, May looked over at the bluenette, almost too stunned for words. "Dawn...it's beautiful. I love it!" May breathed out in such a revered tone that Dawn blushed, finding the attention on her a little overwhelming. The brunette, to the amusement of the others, who had gathered around, suddenly bombarded the navy haired girl.

"Me next! Me next!" Blaze cheered like a little child and not the teenager she actually was. Excitedly tearing into the package, and studiously ignoring everyone's glares, she picked up an orb that had the picturesque scene of a girl and boy surrounded by little people sitting on logs. Heat started to rush to her cheeks as she realized exactly what it was but she managed to keep a straight face and looked up, grinning widely. "It's a snow globe!" she exclaimed happily though gave Byron Carter a slight smile, something that didn't go unnoticed by Dawn. She had to physically restrain herself from giggling, though she didn't understand what was so amazing about the gift in the first place. Byron, for his part, had a light dusting of pink on his cheeks, subtle enough that he could play it off for being cold.

"That it is Blaze, that it is," Aisha laughed, gently taking the obviously carefully crafted gift out of the eccentric redhead's hands and into her own gentle ones. "Byron, did you make this?" Aisha breathed, awestruck at the clear artistry and craftsmanship it took to make something like this. Byron nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly smiling.

"Yea, well Samurott helped a lot. But the inside is all my own," he admitted, look a little self-conscious and studiously trying to ignore the looks from his friends. When no one moved or said anything, Byron laughed slightly awkwardly and made a stiff gesture. "Let's move on, really," he attempted to get the attention off of him. As they moved through the group, it was obvious that everyone had put a lot more effort into gifts this year. Drew received a beautifully carved pokeball that had roses engraved all over it with intricate details of vines and leaves from May; a gift that forced him to get up and engulf the brunette in a huge hug, a form of affection the Eeveeite group rarely saw from him. Aisha received a gorgeous set of peacock feathers that were specifically from India from Paul, and the half Indian girl had embarrassed him by squealing and thanking him profusely. Rocky had received a set of extremely expensive headphones from Paul and Gary opened his gift only to find VIP/first admittance tickets to the new Pokemon Safari that was opening a few cities away from them. Byron got a gorgeous new shell bracelet from Aisha and Dawn was gifted with a sketchbook with a customized cover from May.

Finally, only Misty and Paul were left to open their gifts. Both were avoiding opening the gifts for different reasons. Misty, because knowing her luck, she would open her gift and it would be from Gary and she would be forced to have to face him and give him a wide smile as if everything was ok; Paul, because he just absolutely hated anything that put the spotlight on him and forced people to pay attention to him. Looking at each other, the two tried to get the other person to open his or her gift first, trying very hard to ignore the glares that were coming from their other friends. Blaze growled.

"I swear, if one of you doesn't open their gift _right_ now, I will slap _both_ of you silly!"

"Wow, Blaze, sick comeback," Byron rolled his eyes, snickering to himself. Blaze growled deep within her throat, a feral sound that caused him to shut his mouth. Rocky smirked at his best friend.

"Way to lay down the law, dude," Rocky stage-whispered as Byron elbowed his best friend in the stomach. As Blaze prepared to open her mouth, Aisha's unamused glare caused all three of them to stop mid-sentence.

"Right, well, if we can just get on with opening presents..." the tanned girl drawled. Misty gave a little sigh and then briefly looked above as she opened the gift she had chosen, praying to the ancient pokemon spirits that she hadn't gotten- "Gary" the redhead squeaked. There was a bit of tense silence as the girls and the guys, sans Gary, tried not to think of how ironic this was and how Misty always got the most rotten luck. Ever the oblivious one, the male Oak coaxed her to open his gift.

Misty slowly opened the package only to find a beautifully crafted fishing lure and underneath it, a well researched and extremely detailed guide to all the different water pokemon in different regions. Gasping, Misty held the two items up with a huge smile on her face. After about a few seconds though, she seemed to remember her predicament and looked down, giving Gary the cold shoulder. "So do you like it?" Gary asked, trying to catch her eyes. Misty sighed and looked down, nodding, not trusting herself to say anything without spontaneously combusting. "Uh...Red?" Gary asked perplexedly. Dawn laughed nervously and steered the conversation from the two friends.

"Now it's Paul's turn! He should at least have the attention from his friends," the bluenette grinned wider than usual, attempting to ignore the steely glare that was being directed at her from said boy. Growling once again, Paul opened the gift and looked at the tag.

"It's from Rocky," he murmured. Opening the lid, Paul glanced at it then froze. A thunderous expression appeared on his face and he pushed the entire thing away, got up, and stormed out of the Oak mansion. Everyone looked at Rocky in confusion. Dawn got up to see the contents then rolled her eyes and followed Paul. Rocky looked at their retreating figures and then at his friends and then at the retreating figures once more.

"It was a gag gift! The real one is actually under the tree!" he wailed, yelping as Aisha smacked the back of his head.

"Would it kill you to be more mature? Like really Rocky, just for once, cool it with the jokes!" she yelled, making the boy in front of her flinch.

* * *

"Paul! Paul, wait, please!" Dawn called to him as she ran after his clearly tense figure. "Paul, it was a joke gift!" Dawn tried to explain. Paul growled, turning around angrily and clenching his fists on either side of him.

"Well giving me a book on helping awkward guys pick up girls is beyond a joke! It's embarrassing in its own right!" he spat, icy gaze locked on her. Dawn sighed and closed the distance between them, panting and clutching at her knees in order to catch her breath.

"Oh Paul, you're overreacting. Obviously none of the guys think that way. It was just a way for them to rile you up and it just happened to work," the bluenette gently explained. Paul huffed and turned away, looking up to the sky as if it would bestow upon him the utmost patience for people.

"I don't understand what's so amusing about riling me up. I'm angry most of the time so why does it even matter?" he muttered. Dawn sighed, puffing out a cheek and walking up to him, so they were standing shoulder by shoulder. "I'm not that off-putting am I?" Paul asked, looking over at the navy haired girl next to him. She shrugged and gave him a wry smile that stirred something in him.

"Well, you do have a quick temper so it would be kind of easy to tease and taunt you. But honestly, you're really not that awkward- a bit rude and indifferent, yes, but never awkward. If you really actually cared, I'm sure you can actually snag a date or 'pick up a chick' if that's what you really wanted to do," Dawn grinned and nudged his shoulder. Paul sighed and looked out into the sky that was full of a few stars.

"I wasn't always like this you know," he muttered gruffly, making Dawn wonder if she was supposed to be hearing this. "Things happen that make you grow up and suddenly, you can't just help but think that the entire world is against you."

"Well I can tell you for certain that there are nine wonderful and caring friends who care for you and only want to see you be great in life. You can brood a bit more out here but I'm going to go inside and warm up. See ya later," Dawn responded, a light blush appearing on her face as she kissed his cheek and went inside. Paul couldn't move as he stood there gaping and clutching his cheek like the next apocalypse had just arrived.

_tbc_


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry for the delay guys; I've been moving into my college dorm and I actually had this chapter all ready a couple of days ago but I finally found internet here to upload. Hopefully this chapter makes up for everything but since I'm starting classes soon (this Monday 8/25) I may not have a lot of time but I'll try my best.**

**Anyway, enough of my incessant rambling and let's get on with the chapter**

**~Deepika**

* * *

_Chapter 22_

_.:._

"Wow Dawn what the heck did you say to Paul to make him act like this?" Blaze gasped. It had been a couple of hours since Paul's meltdown, and though the night was winding down, the girls (and guys) couldn't help but notice how unusually quiet Paul was being. Dawn shrugged nonchalantly as if she had no idea what she did to make him like this though she had a suspicious twinkle in her eye. May grinned, walking over to them and slinging an arm around Dawn's shoulder.

"Well, either way, it doesn't matter. It's officially two hours until your fifteenth birthday and we have to make it good because obviously, it's your first birthday celebrated in LaRousse City!" the brunette Oak squealed, her arms waving around everywhere. Aisha gave a gentle smile and Misty gave Dawn a thumbs up. "I know it sounds slightly dramatic, which admittedly, is not a very far off notion, but you being here makes our group complete. We are actually really glad that we got to know you and that you're not pretentious or snobby or-"

"I think what she means is that in a way, you're like us. We're not really huge fans of the spotlight and it's nice to know that we met another person who doesn't have a gigantic ego like some of the people in our school do," Misty butt in quickly before May's rambling got out of hand. Dawn laughed but was interrupted by a poking head coming from the hallway.

"Hey your dad wants to say bye because he's leaving again." May heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes, running her fingers through her hair.

"Wow, what a surprise..." she muttered, partially to herself and partially to the people around her. Turning to her male best friend, May pleaded, "Are you sure that I actually have to go and say bye to him? I really don't even feel like seeing him right now." Drew grimaced.

"Yea, Princess, I think you kind of have to. I know he's not on your favorite people right now" May cleared her throat angrily "alright, he's not even close on there, but he's still your father. Plus he doesn't even think that anything is wrong right now so he still thinks you guys are cool right now." Drew flashed a charming smile at her and beckoned his head in the opposite direction. "Come on, he's waiting on you."

May growled but gave up on her attempts to get out of seeing her father and his witch girlfriend knowing that the battle was a lost cause anyway. "Alright, alright. Let's not keep his royal highness waiting." Sending a pleading look behind her back, May followed Drew to the front entrance of her house. There she saw her father, Laura, and Gary standing at the front door talking. Gary looked extremely awkward and although she really disliked her brother at this current moment, she couldn't and wouldn't let him suffer at a time like this. "Hey Dad, Drew tells me you're leaving so soon?" May asked, trying hard to keep the sadness out of her voice. Grayson looked at his daughter and she was heartbroken to see disappointment in his eyes directed to her.

"Yea, I figured you needed some time to cool off. I hope that when we visit again you can be a bit more welcoming and supporting of Laura into this family. I don't know what's made you act this way all of a sudden; you've usually been so supportive of her. But never mind that May, I hope things will turn out a lot calmer by New Years." Grayson looked at her seriously and May attempted to stop the tears that were welling up in her eyes from leaking out. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, ignoring the shocked looks from Drew and Gary.

"Yea, no problem Dad. I'm sorry about all of this, I-I was just really stressed because I wanted everything to be perfect, plus I've been a bit overwhelmed with school so...yea, just been a little stressed out and stuff. But I guess I'll see you New Years then...but wait!" May gasped, "I have gifts for you so you might as well take them since you won't be here tomorrow!" She scurried over to the giant tree that housed the plethora of presents from her entire group of friends plus her father, grandfather, and even Laura.

Drew was awkwardly left facing the people who had angered his favorite brunette. Laura had begun to animatedly chat once more with Gary and Grayson. Drew sighed, wondering how May put up with this madness with her family drama. At least with his parents, they were gone on possibly eternal vacation but at least they were together and in love. And although he fought with his parents all the time, (mostly because his father insisted he join the family business but Drew was firmly adamant on his career as a coordinator) at least he knew that they were a (slight dysfunctional) happy family, unlike his poor May who was constantly stuck in a battle of arguing parents. Shaking his head, he realized that Grayson was talking to him.

"Are you ok, son?" Grayson asked, a bit worriedly. Drew turned around to face the older yet almost carbon copy of Gary. It was apparent that Grayson had asked him a question but he had spaced out (as he usually did when thinking about May). Thankfully, the pitter-pattering of May's footsteps spared the grass-haired boy from answering his question, as she came running in, carrying her presents. There was a deep sadness in her eyes that Grayson seemed oblivious to as he joyfully received the gifts with a reluctant hug and kiss from May's part.

After an awkward and difficult fifteen extra minutes at the door May and Gary's father and company left, to the apparent relief of both Oak children. May rolled her eyes and stretched her entire body as if dealing with those two had been taxing on her. "Well, glad that's over with. The girls are probably already asleep but I have to get ready for Dawn's birthday. It's tomorrow and I'm determined to make it a good one!" Gary put a hand on her shoulder.

"Princess, calm down, you're stressing out for no reason," her older brother soothed her gently. "Don't get yourself worked up over something like this." Drew nodded.

"Yea April, you've been such a great friend to Dawn already. She'll love whatever you do, honestly. In the words of our birthday girl, there really is no need to worry." May sighed, giving anxious little sighs as she paced. Gary's shoulders hunched as he watched his little sister fall apart at something so small as a party for their friend. He knew she had been at a breaking point but he didn't know when it would happen. "May, seriously, calm down. You can get up early tomorrow, but right now you need some sleep and don't think I won't burrito-wrap you in blankets and then lock you in one of the rooms upstairs."

* * *

Dawn woke up in the morning to any empty room. _'That's odd'_ she thought. She distinctly remembered going to bed with four other girls but right now, the only evidence left of that fact were the sleeping bags discarded on the floor. Slightly hurt that they didn't even wait for her to wake up, Dawn got up and made herself presentable to the world. She walked up the stairs of the basement the girls had slept in and made her way into the kitchen where suddenly the world around her exploded and she was bombarded with streamers, confetti, and hugs from her best friends.

"SURPRISE!" they yelled in unison, the boys included, and Dawn laughed out of pure shock. The bluenette looked around to see Christmas themed decorations, a banner with 'Happy birthday Pinky' written in elegant writing, an assortment of breakfast items, and her friends' wide smiles as they gathered around the island that held all the aforementioned items. Dawn felt happy tears prick at her eyes.

"You guys..." Dawn squeaked, overwhelmed with the joy that was surrounding her. For the first time in fourteen years she didn't have to hide behind the fake mask that she was forced to put on back in Twinleaf Town. She was here with a blank slate and no one knew of her past, and therefore were not at liberty to judge her like so many of her family's close friends once had. Mentally berating herself for having such depressing thoughts on her birthday, Dawn instead decided to focus on the here and now and her wonderful friends who had put so much effort into making her feel like a princess on her birthday. Finally letting the birthday girl go, May grinned and gestured at everything behind her.

"So...do you like it? We spent all morning getting it together. I kind of had to call your mother to find out some of your favorite foods, which I am appalled that I had no idea what they are, but I hope that everything is to your liking-"

"May, I love it," Dawn grinned, bringing the distressed brunette into a sweeping embrace. Letting go of the now beaming brunette and looked at the 8 other people looking at her. "Thank you guys, really. I've never had a birthday surprise as nice as this and you guys did wonderful. I'm so impressed and I'm so happy I met all of you." This time, it was Blaze that stepped forward.

"Well, we're thankful that we met you. You complete our group in ways that we never imagined. I think we can all say that you have helped all of us in some kind of capacity and we couldn't be happier that you and May ran into each other in what we can't believe was only a couple months ago," Blaze explained with a genuine smile as everyone around her nodded. "But enough of that mushy stuff; we didn't spend all morning toiling over such a delicious breakfast just to let it cool down and go to waste." Blaze grinned.

Dawn spent the rest of the morning eating her breakfast and having everyone come up to her and wish her a happy birthday along with a few kind words. It had all started with Gary who had come up as she gathered a croissant and some jam. At first Dawn had thought nothing of it but then Gary had stuck around after both of them had finished loading their plates up with food. She had never seen May's brother look so awkward. Gary took a deep breath.

"Alright, I'm just going to stop being awkward and just come out and say it. I'm really glad you met my sister. I don't think I've seen her happier in the few years that we've been reunited and you have no idea how much it makes me smile that she's smiling. Plus you've helped us too. I don't think we've ever been this close, but it's good. And it's all thanks to you." After that, it was Blaze and Aisha who came up.

"Happy birthday Pinky! On behalf on both of us, we just wanted to tell you that it's so nice to have another opinion in the mix now. You've helped us with our problems and you never fail to notice if there's anything wrong with us," Blaze began. Aisha nodded emphatically.

"Blaze is right Dawn. There's no one who's as talented as in tune to our emotions as you are. Each of us bring a special something to the table and this is what makes you special. Thank you for always being there for us!" Just when Dawn thought it couldn't get better, Rocky and Byron came up to her.

"Hey Dawn, we just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and tell you how much awesome of a person you are. I know we aren't ridiculously close, but you're super cool and the girls have never looked happier, which I guess is all that really matters. Stay awesome," Byron grinned sheepishly. Dawn giggled at how he looked like a fish out of water. Rocky beamed at her.

"_Tu eres una bendición para nosotros_. You are a blessing to us and we couldn't have been happier to meet you. And it's not just the girls who look happier. If you haven't noticed yet, something has changed in a certain stony purple haired boy and even though we couldn't figure out what it was in the beginning, we realized it wasn't a what- it was a _who_. And that who is you, Dawn. You've changed Paul in ways we could never have and it's so nice to see snippets of the guy we used to know when we were younger. So just for that, thanks." Dawn and Byron looked at the normally comedic boy in a whole new light as he spoke to Dawn. Dawn had never seen him as serious as she had just now but like a blink of an eye, the serious look in his eyes was gone and he nodded his head to her and went to go bother Aisha. Byron looked at this best friend and laughed, shaking his head.

"I'll never understand that guy, and I've known him since I was in primary school. Oh well, happy birthday again Pinky. Hope you enjoy the presents." Drew came up to her, one hand balancing his plate while the other was jammed in his pocket as if he just couldn't stop his hands from doing it.

"Hey," he tipped his head in greeting with a two finger salute. "I hope you enjoyed this whole breakfast, which not surprisingly, was May's idea. She was freaking out about this entire thing last night and Gary and I had to calm her down and then send her to bed. Dawn furrowed her eyebrows.

"Freak out? Why?" Dawn questioned. What possible reason was there that May had gotten anxious enough that she needed _both_ Drew and Gary to help calm her down. Drew's answering chuckle made Dawn shoot her head up. "What? What's so funny?"

"Oh Dawn, you have no idea how much you really mean to her, to all of us, including me. You've changed the entire dynamic of our group. You make the group stick closer together and have fun at these high profile events. I know you may not notice it all the time, but this group didn't just get together because we all knew each other when we were younger. All of us, and I mean all of us, absolutely hate the way the media makes a big deal out of everything that we say or do, so we try our best to stay out of the lime light as much as we can. You being from a semi small town reminds us of how our lives should have been even though we're part of an elite city such as LaRousse.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you bring the ordinary into this group. Here you are, a small town girl, well at least compared to LaRousse, who has a substantial amount of money and lives an ordinary life. Truthfully, you actually make us jealous because you got to stay out of the spotlight for a long time when we never had that chance. So yea, thanks for helping us in that factor... And thanks for making our lives at least a hundred times better."

Dawn stared at the green haired boy for quite some time as she let his entire speech sink in. For a moment, the bluenette could truly see what May had fallen in love with. Drew grinned as he saw May bounding over through his peripheral vision.

"Drew! Are you stealing my thunder and my mushy speech?" May pouted as Drew removed the hand that was in his pocket and ruffled her slightly messy brunette hair. He tipped his head back and laughed.

"Oh Princess, if only you knew how much better my speech was than yours will ever be." May rolled her eyes and turned to Dawn, gratitude shining in her sapphire orbs.

"Everyone probably already said awesome and amazing things. But I'll just say I love you Dawn. I don't think I could have survived some of the stuff that happened these past couple of months and I can't thank you enough. I really hope you enjoyed this mini birthday party before we go and open presents." May kept her speech brief before embracing her quickly and scurrying off as always to be a good host and make sure everything was running smoothly. Both Dawn and Drew stared at the brunette for a couple of seconds before simultaneously shaking their heads and turning back to each other, laughing as they realized what had just happened.

"That girl, always knowing what to say," Dawn giggled and Drew nodded. "Anyway, you were way too sweet, but thank you. There used to be times back in Twinleaf where I thought I never belonged but I don't think I've ever felt that here." Drew smirked.

"Glad to hear it; enjoy the rest of your birthday breakfast," Drew tipped his head then sauntered away, most likely to find either Gary or May. Misty came up from behind and gave her a huge hug, which made Dawn first jump then laugh.

"Happy birthday Dawn! Hope you have an amazing birthday and I hope you know how much you mean to us!" Misty grinned. Dawn knew that out of her friends, Misty probably understood her the most, knowing what it felt like to lose a parent. Although Misty didn't say much, Dawn felt the gratitude exude off the redhead. Dawn didn't actively seek out her friends to solve their problems; she just ended up helping them in their time of need and for that, all nine of her friends were grateful for that.

As people filtered out of the kitchen and into the living room, Dawn was left alone, but she didn't mind. It was always nice to take a moment and reflect on the good and bad times of the year and this year was filled with good and bad things. The good obviously outweighed the bad because she had met an amazing group of people who had accepted her for who she was. But there was also a part of her that felt like she couldn't escape her past in Twinleaf Town. Although it wasn't a very big town, there was certainly a wealthy part of it and a not so wealthy part of it; Dawn's family had just so happened to be part of the wealthy tier of Twinleaf. One mistake, however, shattered her family and they were forced to put up walls between family life and personal life, and Dawn somehow found herself trapped behind a glass wall of secrets and lies. Her friends seemed to notice changes but made no comment, thinking that it would pass. Slowly, Dawn learned how to wear a glass mask without tipping off someone of the increasing loneliness and despair that flooded her body every time she came home to her crying mother and scary men in suits.

The move to LaRousse had been an attempt to clean off their slate and start fresh. No one knew of the things that occurred in Twinleaf Town and Dawn wanted to keep it that way. Although she knew that her friends wouldn't blame her for anything, and really, there was nothing to blame her for, but it was more of the family pride that weighed on Dawn's shoulders now. Her mother was finally moving on and making a new life for herself; a life free of secrets and that horrible taint on her family's name. Dawn was finally able to make friends with people who didn't judge her and loved her for who she was.

"You seem awfully pensive for someone who's celebrating her birthday," a surprisingly not gruff voice interrupted her thoughts. Dawn looked up and couldn't find it in her heart to frown at Paul, who seemed to be making an effort not to say anything rude or annoying. She opted for a light smile instead, not wanting to scare him off with her overly cheery personality.

"Well, I find that it's always good to reflect on one's birthday; the bad and the good. Be thankful the bad experiences have shaped us and be grateful for all our good experiences," Dawn replied, leaning back onto the counter for a more comfortable posture. Paul shook his head, giving her a strange look that almost seemed to be an incredulous smile. "What?" the bluenette demanded, looking as threatening as she could with a plate of food in her hands.

"I don't understand how you do it, Troublesome. How you...can stay so happy and cheerful?" Paul's statement came out more like a question. Dawn sighed, her shoulders slightly slumping, an looked up, trying to find adequate words to describe the situation.

"Well, it's like this; if I let all the horrible experiences I ever had overtake all the good ones, I would be sitting in my room, unwilling to come out and face the world. If I just think about the bad things, I never would have met you guys and I wouldn't have my happy go-lucky personality. I don't think anyone would appreciate a person who can only see the negative in anything, rather than at least make an attempt to brighten up another person's day."

"What if you can't?" Paul blurted out. A blush appeared on his cheeks but he determinedly kept his gaze down at the floor. "What if you can't help but look at the negative and let it consume your entire being?"

"Then you need someone to help you see all the good things in life." Dawn blushed as she said this, aware of how she was making this sound like. "It could be anyone really. But just have someone remind you that not everyday is living hell, and while everyday may not be good, there is good in everyday."

"Oi! If you two are done flirting, can we open presents now?" Blaze yelled but was immediately quieted by the rest of her friends. "I mean, can we open presents now?" Dawn rolled her eyes at her impatient friend but put down the remnants of her breakfast and made her way over to the living room.

Everyone was situated into a circle again and there was just enough space for her and Paul and to fit in. Dawn managed to keep herself from rolling her eyes, knowing that her friends had something to do with this. May giggled at Dawn's frustrated expression but stifled it before the bluenette could realize that May was laughing at her. Dawn finally sat down just in time for Professor Oak to come in and start handing out presents. Since there were so many people, it was a more efficient system than having everyone rush over and try to find their own presents.

One by one, Dawn was amazed at the thought and effort put into each one of her gifts. From photo frames to customized pokeballs, the bluenette was spoiled with the amount of presents she received. Even Paul, the boy who basically didn't give a damn about anything had graciously given her a beautiful sketchbook and some new charcoal. Dawn absolutely adored them, especially since she had been meaning to get one. However, it wasn't just Dawn who was fawning over their gifts.

May had received some beautiful pieces of jewelry and even a few pokemon from her friends and family. She was currently holding a pokeball that housed a pokemon from the Kalos region, which had been given by Drew, who had a connection to one of the people there. Gary was holding a beautifully crafted stained glass window pane that contained several types of pokemon, most notably Gary's Umbreon, who was the in the center. Blaze was practically squealing, though she would never admit to it, over the 'cutest fire pokemon ever' and its customized pokeball seal. Aisha was gazing at the gorgeous set of fans that while Byron was jaw-dropped speechless by the surfboard in his hands. Rocky was gushing over his new high tech wireless headphones while Drew was currently smirking/grinning (Dawn could never tell) as he held a snow globe in his hands that depicted his Roserade performing her Petal Dance in the forest. Dawn had honestly never seen his eyes so bright and she had a feeling she knew who had given him that gift. And last but not least, Paul was looking at a wide variety of poffins and special items that would help enhance his pokemon's abilities.

Everyone hugged one another for their gifts and Dawn couldn't help thinking that she had finally found her place amongst her friends. This sudden epiphany gave her the courage to get everyone's attention. "Every year, my family goes up to the mountains for a week long ski trip and I usually get to bring my friends which just so happen to be you guys. So you guys up for it?" Dawn spewed out.

She was overjoyed when they said yes. She finally belonged.


End file.
